When it comes to the power of colour and light, no one is more passionate than Colour Curator Joa Studholme. The original Farrow & Ball Colour Consultant and creator of classic shades like Setting Plaster and School House White, she’s built her life around the belief that colour is transformative: ‘Colour can change a room completely and totally change the spirit of a house.’ And not just colour but finish too.
We sat down with Joa to hear about five ways she’s played with colour and finish in her home, creating quite the impact with seemingly small details. Watch our conversation below and step inside this impeccable space.
Sun-kissed Window Sills
The kitchen is where Joa started becoming, as she calls it, ‘a total menace with a paintbrush’ during lockdown. She was looking for decorative details to enhance her home, without embarking on a full-room renovation, and she started with one of her favourite techniques: painting a window reveal.
‘My kitchen is slightly dark,’ Joa explains, ‘so we painted the reveal of the window in Cane. That reflects any light that you do get in there and now it really does feel like summer.’
Walls: School House White No.291 in Modern Emulsion | Window Sill: Cane No.53 in Modern Emulsion
Statement Stripe
Sometimes, all you need is a sample pot. In her utility room, Joa has added a Romesco statement stripe to contrast the Sardine walls. It may be small but it’s certainty mighty.
‘In the utility room, I wanted to experiment with our Carte Blanche range. It’s painted all in Sardine but I introduced a stripe going up one of the units and over the ceiling, which is painted in Romesco. I wanted it to be singing and full of energy. Usually, you’re going in to do your washing and it’s so boring that I just wanted it to pop at me.’
Walls: Sardine No.CB08 in Modern Eggshell | Stripe: Romesco No.CB4 in Modern Eggshell
Blue Bedroom
In her guest bedroom, Joa has colour drenched two tones of blue for a simple, relaxing scheme with an added twist. Layering two shades from the same family is an ideal introduction to being bolder — particularly if you try it in a space you don’t spend all day in. Of course, if you’re already confident with colour, you can always add a contrast like Joa’s Picture Gallery Red door.
‘I just wanted it to be a treat. People come and stay for weekends a lot, and every room should feel like something special. This guest room is Inchyra Blue and Light Blue, just because I love that combination. It’s not something you’d probably want to live with every day but fabulous to live with for a couple of nights. I think the big thing for people who are wary of bold colour is to use it in spaces they don’t use all the time.’
Walls: Inchyra Blue No.289 in Dead Flat; Upper walls and ceiling: Light Blue No.22 in Dead Flat; Hallway: Setting Plaster No.231 in Dead Flat and Full Gloss
Contrasting Sheens
Layering isn’t limited to colours. Playing with finishes is another way to add subtle interest — and depending on which finish you choose, added practicality too. Joa’s dual-finish hallway in Dead Flat and Full Gloss is a perfect example.
‘I chose Setting Plaster as the colour for the hallway because I feel as though it always gives you a great big hug. Farrow & Ball has really made our name for having a velvety, very, very matt finish and I just started thinking about the gloss finish as well and how much it reflects light and bounces it around. Also it’s so durable. This is a house with suitcases in and out every weekend, so I just wanted it to be totally scuff-proof.’
Upper walls: Setting Plaster No.231 in Dead Flat; Lower walls: Setting Plaster No.231 in Full Gloss
Checkerboard Floor
As much as we love a beautifully tiled bathroom floor, there’s something to be said for a painted floor. It’s more affordable, easier to change as and when you want to and, with our super tough Modern Eggshell, impressively durable too.
‘I wanted to lighten the mood slightly in the bathroom. We’d previously had a checkerboard design on the floor and this time I just pushed it even further. I used Sap Green with Pink Cup and I think it feels like you could be Alice going through the looking glass. For me, the most fantastic thing about painted floors, which I have in all the bathrooms, is the fact that it’s really simple to do, not nearly as expensive as tiles and gives you a huge range of colours.’
Walls and woodwork: Sap Green No.W56 in Dead Flat | Ceiling: Pink Cup No.9801 in Dead Flat
Walls: Pink Cup No.9801 in Modern Emulsion | Woodwork: Sap Green No.W56 in Modern Eggshell | Floor: Sap Green No.W56 and Pink Cup No.9801 in Modern Eggshell
Ask Joa
If you’d like Joa to use her ‘menace with a paintbrush’ approach to release the power of colour and light in your home, you’re in luck. Book a colour consultancy with her today and start your transformation.