Shaynna Blaze is Colour Creative Director and brand ambassador for Taubmans, as well as a judge on The Block, presenter on Selling Houses Australia, author and interior decorator. She give us her take on the modern luxe look, and picks the colours (and products) to make it work. 

Colour trends are ever-evolving, from seasonal hues that are everywhere and then gone in a flash, to macro trends that last a decade or more and shape colour palettes Australia wide.

Around four years ago there was a huge shift in the dominant base colour palette from soft cream and yellows, to grey and crisp, sharp whites. This change created a movement in interior décor, and then expanded outside and changed the look of our exteriors too.



Taubmans Endure Sparrow Wing and a timber and iron side table. Shaynna says "Mixing raw timbers and metals is the perfect accent for a luxe industrial look. The richness of the woodgrain adds texture while the metal gives a masculine element to the interior."

This movement not only changed the appearance of our interiors, but also transformed the overall feel and approach we took to decorating our homes. The new selection of grey and white base colours made an immediate impact; strong, edgy, with new industrial and modern colour schemes that shaped our furnishing style.



Taubmans Endure Victorian Pewter and a Paris wall art Print. "An aged print or piece of artwork like this picture hints at 'times past' and adds an element of visual history to a room," says Shaynna.

Today, a new shift is taking place. One that still embraces grey toned base colours but balances this with the addition of new warm colours. This not only softens the harsh industrial look of recent years, but also enhances the 'luxe' feel of interiors. Chocolate browns that we thought had been banished for good, have now been allowed back into the home, but this time as a restrained accent rather than a base colour palette.



Taubmans Endure Stained Glass and the Jungle Canvas wall art set. "Deep indigos work well with rich metal tones and can also create a contrast with any exposed brick in an industrial interior.  The pattern in this artwork as well as the pops of white white gives a freshness to a simple colour palette," says Shaynna.

Balance has become the main ingredient to getting this look right. This is achieved by taking into account all of the materials that surround this colour palette, with a new emphasis on natural surfaces to lend warmth to the cooler colours. Inclusions like blonde and raw timbers, or natural stones like sandstone and marble, soften the strong impact of grey and white with their textural qualities.



Taubmans Endure Silver Charm with an Andrea & Joen duvet set in Snow. "When you use a strong palette for your walls, using a sharp white in your linen is like adding natural light to a room; the texture of the linen adds softness and depth, rather than looking like a harsh clinical white," says Shaynna. 

To master this new modern luxe look, walls should still be strong deep indigos and charcoals, with trims of soft grey like Taubmans Endure Silver Charm. Then accessorise with brown tones, from soft natural linens and tans, to a deep, almost black chocolate.

Taubmans Endure Bullring Brown and a Grey Tangier rug. "The design of this rug, with its strong pattern and deep plush pile, moves from style to style and works perfectly in the industrial palette," says Shaynna.

Another way that this trend is being expressed is through industrial interiors with metallic accessories in warm brass and copper tones taking centre stage as the luxe element of the room. To work, this also relies on the cool charcoal and indigo wall colours to keep look strong and modern, yet warm.  With this trend the paint colours have become the backdrop to create the residential version of a glamorous, but liveable film set!



Taubmans Endure Vanquished contrasted with a gold table lamp. Shaynna's take: "The rich bronze in this lamp base is softened by the linen texture in the shade – it's all about creating balance with the hard and soft surfaces, now matter how small the accessory."

Taubmans Endure in Vanquished is a black indigo colour that works well with strong white contrasting trims. To set this off, experiment with accessories in warm metallic or natural materials, which will nail the trend and provide depth to the room.

When introducing this look throughout your house, a gradient mix of greys from one room to the next will keep the interior colour scheme consistent, but with a layered effect creating unexpected changes from room to room.