Embracing colour in your home with @the_idle_hands
The home of Sandra from @the_idle_hands is brimming with rich, vibrant and sumptuous colours that create a joyful and homely atmosphere. From her lively Muga kitchen cabinetry to her inviting Scarlet ‘n’ Rust front door, she has used some of the boldest colours in the Paint & Paper Library palette on woodwork to achieve elegant, characterful schemes.
Explore Sandra’s Paint & Paper Library palette and discover her expert tips for incorporating colour into your interior designs…
Tell us about your kitchen and utility project.
“We had the kitchen and utility built during a big renovation project that we undertook four years ago. I'd always dreamed of a big kitchen/dining/living space and after many years of waiting, I finally got my wish! It was initially painted a very dark green, which I loved. But after the pandemic and lockdown, and spending so much time in the kitchen, I began to crave a lighter, warmer feeling in the room.”
How did you choose Muga and Scarlet ‘n’ Rust for the woodwork and cabinetry?
“I'd seen a couple of inspirational images of yellow kitchens, and I was really drawn to them. I was looking for a very particular shade though, I didn't want a bright or sunshine yellow. When I sampled Muga, I knew it was the one. It has a real depth to it.”
I originally thought about using pink in the utility room, but when I went back to the Paint & Paper Library colour card, Scarlet ‘n’ Rust suddenly jumped out at me, and I had an epiphany! Seeing the two colours together in the kitchen and utility makes me happy every day. They're like a warm hug.”
Sandra’s Paint & Paper Library palette:
![Scarlet 'n' Rust](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%235f4037" /></svg>)
![Muga](data:image/svg+xml;utf8, <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0" y="0" height="262px" width="350px"><rect width="350" height="262" style="fill:%23AD8140" /></svg>)
You often use bolder shades on your woodwork and cabinetry. What does this use of colour bring to your schemes?
“For me, it brings great joy, and I always want my home to feel joyful. I decorate from the heart, and purely for myself, and I'm hugely drawn to bold shades, but always in quite sophisticated, muted tones, as opposed to brights.”
Request a complimentary colour card
Are finish and durability an important consideration when painting woodwork and cabinetry?
“Hugely important. The kitchen and utility room in particular are heavy-traffic rooms, with cupboard doors constantly being opened, closed and pawed at by my children! If you're going to paint your cabinets, then you need durability. I also wanted something in between a flat, matt finish and a full gloss, so opted for Architects' Eggshell. It's held up brilliantly so far, and I couldn't be happier with the low sheen finish, which is very forgiving and easy to wipe down too.”
Discover the durable, self-priming Architects’ Eggshell
Scarlet ‘n’ Rust also features on your front door. What do you love about this shade, especially when painting woodwork?
“So good I used it twice! In all honesty, even a couple of years ago, Scarlet ‘n’ Rust isn't a colour I would ever have foreseen myself using. I'm usually drawn to blues and greens, but it was love at first sight. It's such an interesting, sophisticated colour, which changes from deep, earthy red to rusty brown in different lights, and I love every variation. It feels rooted in tradition whilst being fresh and modern at the same time. A very clever shade! I wouldn't be surprised if I use it somewhere else very soon.”
Order a sample pot of Scarlet ‘n’ Rust
You embrace strong, vibrant colour and pattern so confidently in your home. Do you have any advice for making bolder interior design choices?
“I often have people tell me they love my design choices but that they wouldn't feel confident to use them in their own homes. If it's something you want to try, then I say jump in with both feet. Don't start small and see how you go, or you'll never get there! Choose colour or pattern that really speaks to you - you have to love it with your whole heart, or there's no point, as you won't be happy with the finished result.
Forget tiny tester squares on your wall - use a whole tester pot and paint a length of lining paper to hang in your room and really get a feel for how it will look, and look at it in different lights over a week or so. And if the worst comes to the worst, it's only paint or paper, it can be painted white again just as easily! Nothing is irreversible. Better to make a mistake than never try (I speak from past mistake-making experience - it's all good fun!).”
Read guidance on choosing paint colours
