If you haven’t heard of greige before, it’s the love child of grey and beige. Many people consider neutrals to be boring, but the greige colour palette is quite the opposite.

Greige paint is one of the most versatile colours you can use on your walls. It's the best of both worlds. The beige brings a warmth and softness, the grey adds an elegance and sophistication.

Greige acts as a supporting colour and pairs with other colour families effortlessly because of its easy-going nature.

Quick tips:

• Greige paint is a great alternative to white ceilings, doors and skirting boards
• Greige paint hides dirt and other messes easily
• Use greige paint in north facing rooms instead of grey. North facing rooms have a cooler natural light and greige will make the space feel snug.

Read more about the best shades for north, south, east or west facing rooms. Or learn how to paint your ceiling in a different colour here.

The greige colour palette is the perfect neutral for the tone on tone trend. To achieve this look, the trick is to layer your walls and woodwork in similar shades to create a harmonious colour scheme.

But make sure you style greige with other elements. Nude tones team well with natural materials like terracotta, clay and stone to create an organic, raw feel (a top interior trend right now!). Or use metals, like brass to make the room feel more expensive.

“The less colour you have in a room, the more texture you need”

Alternatively, bring greige to life with pops of colour. Whether it’s your accessories or furniture, greige paint looks great with reds, purples, navy, or Steph’s favourite: pink!

“Colour gets the credit, tone does the work”

You can explore more neutral shades here.

We love having guests on our podcast and hearing what makes them tick. In our third episode, we chat to colour expert, Laura Perryman.

Who is Laura Perryman?

Laura is a Colour & Materials Consultant and Global Trend Forecaster. She runs the design consultancy, Colour of Saying, which specialises in raising the profile of colour and its transformative possibilities (there are many!).  

To us, Laura is one of those rare unicorn people, who combine an amazing scientific approach to colour, whilst being superbly creative.

Discover more about Laura’s work on Instagram @colour_of_saying …we wouldn’t blame you if you fell down this rabbit hole!

Why is colour important to you?

“I think colour is incredibly transformative. It doesn’t just look great, it can perform, it can enhance our lives and transform a whole experience of a product. It is the ultimate medium for designers to use!”

Where is THE place to find out about colour trends?

“I would say the Frieze Art Fair. It doesn’t have to be a design related event – it’s always interesting to see how other people approach colour and design and form and shape”

Is choosing colour an art or a science?

“It’s a bit of both. The science is there for an important reason. It’s there at the base of many colour tools. But there are also ways to choose colour that are more holistic. Asking questions allows you to get the best out of colour. How does it respond to a material? What’s the dye made of? How does it engage the user?”

Tell us about a project where colour has made a positive difference...

Laura explains that she recently worked on a Transportation project.

“Darker palettes are very durable but not helpful to partially sighted users, who are aided by brighter colours and contrasts. Colour and textiles are key in helping someone to identify the edge of a seat without feeling overwhelmed or anxious. We used hot coral colours as small accents with the darker colours.”

This is where our very own Dr Dulux and colour expert (Marianne) prescribes the perfect remedy for all of your DIY dilemmas.

Sarah in Aylesbury wants to know… which colours will go with her new dark green velvet sofa?

Here are our top tips:

• Choose a contrasting colour – the opposite colour to green is red. So, why not consider a shade of pink? A soft petal, a dried rose or a dark berry pink are great options! We speak more about the red family in episode 1.
• Choose a neutral tone – a greige colour will warm up the room and create a beautiful backdrop to allow the sofa to take centre stage.  

Follow this link to learn how to pick the perfect sofa colour. Or use the Dulux Visualizer to see how different colours look in your home.

Sam in Oxford wants to know… how to create a home office when you’re short for space

If you’re working from home and don’t have a study or office, there are easy ways to zone-off a dedicated workstation, no matter the size of your space.

One of our home office ideas is colour blocking. This is when you combine different colours in one area. Colour blocking not only makes a bold statement, it can help highlight particular areas in your home. A functional work from home zone will help you concentrate and stir creativity and productivity.

Why not try painting an arch or circle over your desk? Find out how here. Or get more colour blocking ideas.

If you need help from Dr Dulux, you can submit your questions here.

Again, thank you so much for listening (and reading). We hope you’re enjoying the podcast as much as we enjoy making it!

You can listen to episode 3 now. And if you have a spare few moments, please do leave a review, we’d love to know what you think.

All that’s left to do is… Let’s Colour!