How to bring a contemporary feel to a traditional home

When planning interiors for a traditional home, don’t feel restricted to only making classic design choices. Period properties lend themselves very well to soft, tonal colour schemes. But it is also possible to create interiors that have real design impact with the bold use of colour and pattern.

Find out how you can embrace contemporary style in your traditional home with colours and wallpapers in the Paint & Paper Library palette.

Introduce a contrasting accent colour on woodwork or cabinetry

A simple way to bring a contemporary feel to a period property is by using contrasting colours in combination. Timeless interior designs often rely on related and coordinating colours to create a gentle, harmonious setting. However, contemporary style makes use of contrasting accents and clean lines that deliver impact.

Elevate your neutral colour scheme by introducing an unexpected colour as a contrasting highlight on the woodwork. The sun-bleached grey, Yesterday’s Flower, is an excellent choice to accompany Bluebird on woodwork. This colour combination makes for an intriguing, contemporary living room.

Kitchens are superb rooms to make bolder colour choices and create a lively and sociable space. Consider juxtaposing walls in the punchy orange, The Long Room, with the contrasting pink-peach, Roben’s Honour. These two paint shades work particularly well on tiles and cabinetry.

The Paint & Paper Library Colour Atlas will assist you in selecting complementary shades to accompany your wall colour. Choose from the ‘contemporary’ recommendations for a tried and tested combination that will bring design personality to your scheme.

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Refresh a piece of furniture to create a statement focal point

The paint finish you choose can create real design impact when decorating a contemporary If you are looking for a quick contemporary update consider painting a piece of furniture. A bright, bold colour will add vibrancy and interest to your scheme, as well as creating a focal point to draw the eye.

Deep blues such as Mockingbird, Plimsoll, Squid Ink or Kigali contrast beautifully with strong pinks or reds. These colours pair beautifully for a sumptuous, luxurious atmosphere. Consider the sultry deep pink, Kasbah, for an intimate bathroom scheme, or enliven your study space with Very Well Red on the desk.

Use a contemporary wallpaper design

Wallpapers are an excellent tool for instantly transforming the look and feel of an interior. Opt for a confident, stylised botanical design to bring contemporary impact to your living space.

For a truly striking scheme, combine a large-scale wallpaper design with strong coordinating colours. In a spacious hallway, Hardy Palm – Acqua Viva pairs well with the rich deep purple, Pontefract, on woodwork for an impressive entrance. Or – for a livelier space – use Tropicane – Chelsea Green with coordinating vibrant green woodwork and soft modern furnishings.

You could also consider a contemporary mural wallpaper such as Jangala to completely restyle your traditional living space. Pair Jangala – Plaster with minimal furnishings to take full advantage of this immersive design.

Embrace colour drenching to achieve an encompassing space

Colour drenching is a technique that uses one shade across all walls and woodwork to create a strong, clean and contemporary look. With no contrasts to draw the eye, colour drenching works well in both large and small spaces to exaggerate the size of the room. This technique provides an encompassing backdrop, upon which to incorporate furniture, fabrics, paintings and pieces.

For a real contemporary statement, embrace bold and vibrant shades in your colour drenching scheme. Apple Smiles II, Caravan and Iguana are all excellent choices to create instant impact in older homes.

Pair with neutral furnishings and natural materials for a simple scheme. Alternatively, use geometric patterned fabrics and striking black and white accents for an engaging space.

Elevate your all-over scheme with a bold painted ceiling

If you have chosen to colour drench your space, you can amplify this one step further by painting your ceiling in a contrasting colour. Although often painted white out of habit, the ceiling makes an interesting design feature when treated as the fifth wall in the room.

Choose a contrasting shade that complements your wall colour to draw the eye upwards. Jaipur Pink is a vibrant terracotta that is a beautiful accompaniment to Kasbah on the ceiling and skirting boards. Or create a cocooning bedroom sanctuary. Pair Sencha walls with the warm golden yellow hue, Pollen II, on the ceiling.

Monochrome colour schemes can also evoke a contemporary atmosphere in period properties. Clean White and New Black combine to produce the strongest contrast in the Paint & Paper Library palette. Use Clean White on all walls and woodwork with New Black on the ceiling, and pair with botanical elements.

Browse our image gallery for more interior design inspiration.