Alex Walls from The Block NZ presents one living room in two different colour concepts. Which one do you love?
Why Alex Walls is loving these looks
Right now I am super-excited about all the beautiful, dark and moody tones of green that have appeared, and I just could not wait to showcase one of them in a room setting. I chose Dulux ‘Flat Island’, a gorgeous khaki green, but then faced a battle trying to choose which way to go with the soft furnishings: do I stick to a neutral palette and let the green be the hero, dominating by way of contrast? Or do I go light and bright, incorporating vibrant furniture and pieces to make the green work within an overall look? In the end, I thought I’d do both and let you be the judge. Which living room do you love?
Option one: light and bright
The balancing act – when using a rich, moody colour like this green, I like to introduce neutral or accent colours from the opposite side of the colour wheel to balance out the look (in this case, orangey and pinky reds). Include them in soft furnishings.
Start with your inspirational pieces – when building a room from scratch, find an item which inspires you – such as a rug, an artwork or a cushion – something with a beautiful colour story or an irresistible texture or patina. Then choose furniture and accessories to match or complement your special piece, creating an interior which not only moves you but looks cohesive.
Option two: natural neutral
Neutral depth – if you are drawn to a neutral palette but want to ensure your overall look still has depth, make sure to include a good variety of textures in your scheme, such as fur, metal, cane, woven fabrics and plants.
How to get the look
Wall painted in Dulux ‘Flat Island’.
NEUTRALS Lennox fringe wall hanging, $69.99, leather Butterfly chair, $999, Lennox fringe cushion, $79.99, Tibetan lamb’s hide, $199.99, leather Nola stool, $220, speckle pot with lid, $69.99, reindeer hide, $450, all from alexandcorban.co.nz; Armadillo & Co Sherpa Weave rug, $1270, from The Ivy House; Amalfi black floor lamp, $159, from Shut The Front Door.
BRIGHTS Just South West red peony print, $259, from alexandcorban.co.nz; Holda Sofa $3,839 from Maytime, available on alexandcorban.co.nz; Dieter dot cushion cover, $54.90, Anni woven cushion cover, $139, golden velvet cushion cover, $49.90, American oak stool, $299, lilac square vase, $89.90, all from Citta Design; speckle pot with lid, $69.99, and wool kilim rug, $1,599, both from alexandcorban.co.nz.
Styling by: Alex Walls. Photography by: Coralee Stone.
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