Update your furniture with our Spice paint palette to add energy and depth to any room.
Among the many advantages of wooden furniture is its ability to be easily and regularly refreshed. From kitchen cabinetry to bar stools and side tables, a lick of paint can instantly breathe new life into pieces and introduce new colours to a room scheme. Furthermore, repainting helps extend the longevity of favourite pieces by hiding scuffs and marks, making furniture and cabinetry more cost effective and sustainable. Co-founder John Sims-Hilditch has repainted his 20-plus-year-old Chichester kitchen three times and it still looks as good as new. Just be sure to opt for an eggshell finish as it is more robust, easier to wipe clean, and less likely to scuff than emulsion.
Strong, bold colours are particularly well-suited to small paint-refreshing projects as they are a chance to test out colour schemes or introduce new shades to a space without the over-commitment of decorating an entire room. They can also be helpful if you want to change up a neutral scheme – a painted piece of furniture, balanced by some similar hues in cushions or textiles, will transform a plain space.
Our spice palette includes Saffron, Mustard, Paprika and Clove, and all offer the opportunity to inject energy and depth into a scheme.
• Saffron is a ‘true’ yellow. Richly pigmented, it is grounding and warm rather than bright – ideal for a statement piece of furniture in a room where you want to introduce light and energy.
• Mustard is more of a yellow ochre with a hint of olive. It feels vibrant in summer and warm in winter so works well on furniture positioned in north-facing rooms.
• The rich, pink-red tones of Paprika bring plenty of heat to a scheme without the glare and harshness of a purer red. While it is strong, it can work well in rooms with either neutral or deeper colour tones.
• Clove hovers between decadent plum and a velvety deep brown, rooting a piece of furniture in the space and bringing a sultry, earthy mood to the room.
If you find the spice shades too bold, then consider a quieter paint shade like the rich green of Olive, with its balancing, restful quality, the heritage dark green of Constable Green, or the natural vibrancy of our latest green, Nettle. The warm brown of Saddle, too, works well applied to furniture. Sitting between russet and chocolate brown, it brings sophisticated strength to a scheme.
As for application, you can go from a surprise flash of colour painted on the inside of a cupboard through to colour-drenching the whole room and wooden furniture within it. Alternatively, if you are feeling particularly creative, you could decorate furniture pieces with the spice palette, much as the Bloomsbury group of artists did to great effect all over Charleston House in Sussex. The choice is yours.
