Navy is the new black when it comes to stylish interiors

Super chic and totally modern, get to know the shade of the moment says Liz Connor
Inky walls are the trend you need to know
Pad Lifestyle
Liz Connor16 December 2016

Choosing the right shade for your home is tricky business. While moody neutrals have long been the order of the day for stylish living, few can deny that this New Year, more than any other, requires a fresh coat of paint.

Interiors may have played favourites with greys last year, but next year is all about ditching the Scandinavian palette in favour of something richer, warmer and altogether more dramatic.

Enter navy: the shade we’ll all be painting on our walls in 2017.

Pinterest recently revealed it’s top 100 trends for the coming year, reporting that inky hues were set to be the fashionable neutral du jour for the discerning home owner, thanks to an 80% increase in users pinning the colour.

The appeal of navy is that It’s just as liveable and versatile as grey, while providing a stunning backdrop to sit furniture and accessories against. Better yet, it won’t look like every other space on Instagram.

It pairs particularly well with warm metallic colours such as gold and copper, as well as earthy dark woods and crisp, white contemporary pieces.

The boldest way to embrace the trend is by painting your walls, which can bring richness and depth to your space, but if you aren’t quite ready to take the plunge, try investing in a navy sofa or introducing the colour with smaller layer accents like fabrics, pillows and rugs.

Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue is the buzzy paint can of the moment, according to interiors editors – an almost-night navy that on the wall looks less imposing than going for an all-out black.

Scandinavian design - in pictures

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Interiors guru Abigail Ahern is clearly a big fan. Her Instagram reveal snapshots of her home adorned in midnight shades and she lists navy as one of just four colours that ‘could change your life’.

Writing on her blog, she says: “Blue is a super relaxing hue, it soothes, calms and gently, quietly does its job without competing for attention.

“It casts a tranquil, gentle Zen-like glow in any room. It’s a hue that softly gathers you in and although it’s super popular everywhere, I would say it’s particularly perfect for bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms and bathrooms. Anywhere you want to unravel and chill a little.”

So devoted to colour is she, that three of the 15 shades in her self-titled paint collection are riffs on navy blue.

According to experts, It’s time to banish the ingrained rules you had about paint colours too. If you’re shying away from the trend because you live in a pokey one-bed, it might be time to think again.

Russell Sage, the interior designer behind Zetter Townhouse’s dark dining rooms told Stylist: “Smaller rooms actually feel more cosy when painted in sludgy colours, which turn limited spaces into the perfect little dens to hunker down in.”

With the winter chill underway, we can’t think of a more perfect shade to escape from the elements in.

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