Design ideas for tonal and monochrome spaces
Anyone who has spent enough time examining a paint chart will know that within each colour are myriad more versions of the same colour, separated by the smallest subtleties in shade or tone. In sticking to just one ‘colour family’, you can create a sense of harmony and continuity in a space.
With colour restricted, you have to be creative in order to add depth to a space, and your best friends here are texture and light. A variety of finishes can work wonders. ‘In the kitchen, try using one shade in gloss for cabinetry (a good way to bounce a little light in poorly lit spaces), a practical washable emulsion on your walls and a softer finish for plasterwork and ceiling' says Patrick O'Donnell, Brand Ambassador at Farrow & Ball. ‘The effect will feel remarkably elegant, especially at the paler and warmer end of the spectrum’. Hardware and furniture, such as a brass sconce or a marble table, will stand out all the more against a tranquil backdrop.
‘It’s all down to mixing textures and introducing interesting details. Combining rough with smooth is a great way to add layers’, says Tiffany Duggan, whose design for an off white kitchen, below, is testament to the fact that sticking to one colour doesn’t mean a space is dull. ‘Bring in a few vintage or antique pieces too to avoid that 90’s Italian showroom vibe’, she adds.
Look no further for our favourite tonal spaces.
Paul Massey1/14Blue has tended to be one of the most popular choices for tonal rooms in the houses we've seen, and Nicola Harding has made beautiful use of it in the bathroom of this country house in Berkshire. Floor tiles from Emery & Cie complement two colours from Paint & Paper Library: ‘Sobek’ on the walls and ‘Samphire’ on the vanity unit and bath.
Michael Sinclair2/14Brown is one of our favourite colours at the moment, and always ups the sophistication level in a room. In Jonathan Reed and Graeme Black's house in Yorkshire, brown limewash on the walls creates an earthy backdrop for a mixture of antique and contemporary pieces in similar hues, from the rug by Christabel Balfour to the oak-bark-tanned leather bed.
Boz Gagovski3/14This room in designer Russell Loughlan's Deal house has a lot to love, first and foremost the way that the walls and woodwork are painted in tonal shades of blue, with the darker colour drawing attention to the doors and fireplace. The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Oval Room Blue’, while the woodwork is in ‘Sloe Blue’.
Boz Gagovski4/14When decorator Benedict Foley set about transforming creative consultant Max Hurd's London house into a witty take on country house style, this space at the front became known as ‘the library’. The full-bleed green colour scheme is based on Mark Hampton’s scheme for Denise Hale in San Francisco. The walls are in Farrow & Ball's Sap Green with the woodwork in Bancha. The sofa, which is by Love Your Home, is covered in a green cotton velvet.
Michael Sinclair5/14In this house designed by Rachel Chudley, walls and woodwork in a stormy grey created by paint specialist Donald Kaufman create an atmospheric backdrop for artworks from The Cob Gallery, including an abstract painting by Joseph Goody. Grey floor tiles add another layer of charcoal grey. The simple, elegant ‘Luxor Lantern’ is from Pooky.
Michael Sinclair6/14This top bedroom in Pandora Taylor's house is papered in Zak & Fox's 'Auspicious' pattern, with woodwork in Little Greene's 'Jewel Beetle'. Together the two make for a cohesive scheme.
Paul Massey7/14In the grand kitchen of Eildon Hall in the Scottish Borders, shades of blue are used throughout. The scheme was designed around the painting on the right: Christabel Blackburn's Hay Barn. This mid-blue (Devol's ‘Clerkenwell Blue’) is mirrored in the woodwork throughout the room, as well as on the cornicing on the ceiling. A deep black island (in ‘Printer’s Black’) stands out against this airy backdrop.
Paul Massey8/14In this Peter Mikic project, the design of this rug was inspired by the existing curtains in ‘Melograno’ by Colony. These textiles, combined with the rich red of the walls (a grasscloth wallcovering by Stereo), look spectacular when lit up at night. Against the various tones of red in the space, a Cox London custom Golden Oak Chandelier and a gold mirror stand out.
Mark Anthony Fox9/14In this small library, Emma Burns painted the walls and all the joinery in Little Greene's ‘Baked Cherry’ whilst upholstering the sofa in a thick corduroy in an equally rich, deep version of the colour. ‘Shades of red lend themselves particularly to this monochrome approach’, she says. ‘They can create an instantly layered interior’. Emma also suggests using greens and browns to a similar effect, adding ‘white is the minimalist favoured choice and that too has huge impact used on all planes.’
Christopher Horwood10/14Natasha Howard has not held back on her use of burgundy in this sitting room. It's painted in 'Murrey Red' from Papers and Paints which, when combined with curtains made from Howe at 36 Bourne Street's 'Satin Stripe', a coordinating fire fender and armchairs, has a grown-up sophisticated feel. A marble fireplace from Lassco, and mirror Reed & Wright pop add a layer of glamour.
Owen Gale11/14Bright and airy describes this bedroom designed by Buchanan Studio, thanks to the careful layering of white and neutral shades. The canopy bed is made using lengths of white linen, and a vintage sofa re-upholstered in a cream boucle from Yarn Collective stands in the window.
Michael Sinclair12/14Enveloped in green (Paint & Paper Library’s archive colour ‘Both Barrels’), this bedroom by Thea Speake is a lesson in layering. The wall colour is mirrored in the plaid curtain fabric from Merchant & Mills, and even in the subtle thread of the rug on the floor.
13/14Audrey Carden lined the walls of her bedroom and dressing area with blue Alcantara fabric from GP&J Baker. The mood is luxurious here, with the combination of the suede-effect fabric and and a tray ceiling painted in the same shade.
Elsa Young14/14Pink walls the colour of setting plaster, tie in with deep pink curtains, and a purple Clawfoot bath. The marble floor - which continues up the walls - creates a visual break.
