Home Refresh with Matilda Goad: A Project Inspired By Our New Colours

Consultant, designer and all-round creative marvel Matilda Goad is no stranger to beautiful interiors, so when we heard that she was embarking on a transformation of her own, we were delighted to see our new colours in a starring role. We caught up with Matilda to talk about her project and get her advice on bringing a bit of new life to a much-loved space.

Hi Matilda, we hear you’ve been very busy with our new colours! Tell us all about your project.

I’ve been eyeing up De Nimes since it launched – I think it lends itself so well to small awkward rooms as it almost camouflages unwanted beams and angular walls. My mother lives in a cottage in the countryside and has a little office at the end of the house that’s always been a bit neglected, so it’s become a bit of a dumping ground. Giving a room a fresh coat of paint is a great way to show it some love, so that’s exactly what we did.

In order to draw the eye away from those crooked walls, we painted the majority of the wall surface, bar a large built-in unit, in De Nimes. Immediately the room transformed into a cosy, enveloping space. We used Shadow White on the brickwork of the fireplace to soften the effect and help it to blend effortlessly with the walls; the ceiling and windows, meanwhile, were coated in bright All White to optimise any light coming into the room.

We worked with the existing curtains, which are a chintzy Colefax fabric, and added some yellow elements with Babouche, which has given the room a more contemporary pop. It’s a really fun idea to paint the back of a door in a bright colour like Babouche – in this case, it’s open more often than not, so you just see a sliver – and we picked this up on the wicker chair too.

Walls: De Nimes in Estate Emulsion, Door: Babouche in Estate Eggshell, Brickwork: Shadow White in Estate Eggshell

What are some of your favourite schemes using our new colours?

I used Bancha in my pop-up shop last autumn and I’m still obsessed with it. I feel khaki is a neutral in the same way that navy or black is because it works with so many colours, bright or pale, and everything seems to bounce off it. I think it looks particularly good on woodwork. Bancha with a blue-toned pink, such as Pink Ground, is an amazing combination, I use this often in my products – where pink could become sugary sweet or a little bit twee, it almost toughens it up.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR A HOME REFRESH?

A room rejig is always a great start. Move everything around, and even if you end up reverting to the original layout, you’ll still see that room in a new light. An added bonus is that it’ll probably put you in the mood to have a bit of a clear out at the same time.

Think about swapping different pieces of furniture in from other rooms, too. A lick of Estate Eggshell is a wonderful way to refresh a hardworking piece and integrate it into a new scheme at the same time.

Finally, one easy tip that has a really transformative effect is to add trim, like a simple scallop, fabric detail or contrast paint colour, onto the end of wall shelving or bookcases. Hardware can make a huge difference too, and you can create a whole new statement just by changing the handles on an existing piece of furniture.

For more inspiration on how to refresh a room, visit Hit Refresh: Three New Schemes For Redecorators.

Photography by Harry Crowder