Styling – Jono Fleming. Photography – Sue Stubbs.

You don’t need 50 shades of grey, just some help choosing the right one. The T&W style team went in search of the perfect painted backdrop for our French Bedroom collection. Here they share style tips plus some advice from the experts at Taubmans. 

The new neutral

When decorating French-style interiors it’s easy to stick with whites and beige neutrals, but to create this elegant French Bedroom look our style team wanted to work with a chic grey palette. “Grey works well with a classic look as well as modern interiors,” says T&W head of styling Jessica Bellef. “It adds depth without overwhelming, and is a great backdrop that plays nicely with plenty of other colours.”

“We’ve really seen the grey palette rise in popularity over the past 5 years,” adds Nadine Miller-Vachon, Marketing Director at Taubmans. “It’s a trend that’s here to stay in exteriors and inside the home. Grey doesn’t have to be a cold, dull colour, there are warm and cool greys. The undertone and depth of colour make a huge difference.”

To create our look for this shoot, we chose three of the most popular greys specified by interior designers and architects from the Taubmans range – deep Grey Moggy, silvery Salinger and warmer Barely Beige. "They're among the most popular because they're what we like to call 'bullet-proof greys' that work well in any environment,” adds Nadine. All work well with a classic look like this one, or a contemporary interior.

 



Choosing the right shade

We’re lucky to have a bright, versatile studio space – with movable walls – to work in here at Temple & Webster. At home, room orientation and both natural and artificial lighting both affect the way a specific colour will look on your own walls at home, and whether a warm or cool grey is the best choice. According to TV interiors expert and Taubmans ambassador Shaynna Blaze, the best thing to do is pick up some sample pots and “Paint an A4 piece of white cardboard or a canvas, then take it around the house and see how it looks in each room.” And, she adds, be patient. “Leave it in one spot on an easel or up against a chair and see how the colour looks at different times of the day.” And don’t forget, the brighter the room, the more washed-out a colour will appear, which is where you can adjust with half or full strengths of your chosen shade. (Start by playing with the Taubmans Paint Your Own Room tool here.)

 



Light and dark

“We decided to play with two different backdrops for the main shot” says Jess. “Sophisticated and elegant, a dark colour like Grey Moggy can make a large space feel more intimate, and create a feeling of cocooning which is nice in a bedroom.” If you’re nervous about a bold colour statement on your walls, a dark grey is also a great compromise, as it’s strong without being overwhelming. The lighter end of the grey spectrum, like ‘greige’ favourite Barely Beige can have the opposite effect, adds Jess. “The light bounces around more and adds a spacious feel to a room.”

 



Add accents

Crisp white accents can work really well to freshen up and highlight greys, but just as you would with a white-on-white scheme or other neutrals, you can layer your greys by painting skirtings, trims and even furniture in complementary grey tones. Senior stylist Jono Fleming chose Salinger as an accent colour in our French bedroom. “I wanted to soften the tones here without the starkness of white here,” he says. “So I painted the shutters and skirtings in a soft, silvery tone. You could also try painting smaller items of furniture to work in with your colour scheme this way, and even sand them back a little for that rustic French look.”

“If layering different grey tones, keep within the same colour temperature, that is all warm or cool tones, ” adds Nadine. “Remember that if you use a semi-gloss or gloss finish on your trims, it may appear lighter than the satin or matte finish on the walls.

 



Layer the look

When you start with greys on the wall, you can really go anywhere with the rest of your space in terms of style and colours. Soft furnishings and layering with textures will warm up a space to ensure even the coolest grey doesn’t appear cold and clinical, and greys work well with plenty of other colours so you can easily switch up your soft furnishings.

Go for a clean, contemporary look or a classic feel like our French bedroom. “The darker grey really brings out the purples in the bedhead and furniture,” says Jess of the darker wall treatment, “while the pale grey brings out the lighter tones in the rug and cushions to lift the whole look.” Adds Jono of the furniture choices. “The French country look is all about classic details like the studded upholstered bedhead, leather trims, and timber and metallic furniture with a patina. And plenty of soft linens and neutral tones, of course.”

For more painting and planning tools, visit Taubmans here.

Shop our French Bedroom look here.