Twice a year, in spring and autumn, we create a new collection of designs. And each of those collections is led by a colour. It’s usually inspired by the season, a way to connect with the mood of the natural world (although we always make sure it’ll feel ‘right’ in every season – your home doesn’t start afresh twice a year, after all). And its influence can be felt from our paint and fabrics to the photography we capture to inspire you. This autumn, that colour is Clove. Here’s how we’d go about creating a palette around it, whether you’re looking for dramatic contrasts or softly soothing tones.
Clove, is, we think, the definition of the perfect dark neutral. Escaping description as a specific colour, Rebecca, our creative director of product and services, describes it best as ‘plum with undertones of velvet brown’. What it most definitely is though, is a shade that works across the spectrum of colours, both as the hero hue or as a background base allowing other colours to sing. The joy of a neutral like Clove is that it will work effortlessly with almost any colour you chose to fall in love with.
Clove and Silver Birch Clove’s rich, earthy tones of purple-brown create a cocooning, embracing feel, especially if used as a lead colour in a scheme or on all four walls. To add a hit of freshness, which will ensure Clove works across all seasons, introduce some Silver Birch, either on painted furniture or on woodwork. Silver Birch is a delicate, pale grey with a creamy warmth to it, so it balances harmoniously with Clove’s rich glow, while bringing a lightness of touch to any space.
Clove and Old Rose Clove and Old Rose are a marriage made in heaven. Both muted, deep colours with historic overtones, together they are calming, soft and elegant. Old Rose was inspired by the pinky petals of a classic English rose, and its earthy undertones are beautifully balanced by the rich, velvety depth of Clove. Work them in equal measures for a scheme that contains colour without being shouty, or use one to support the other for a harmonious blend. More Clove, and the highlights of Old Rose will add a layer of softness to a space; more Old Rose, and Clove will ground the scheme and prevent it feeling overly feminine.
Clove and Moss A sense of the natural world is created when Clove and Moss meet. Both shades are rooted in nature and together they whisper of densely wooded forests shrouded in a dawn mist. Moss is a cool, pale green with a silvery-grey touch that feels calm and reassuring and off-sets the enveloping warm embrace of plum-brown Clove. Work them together in equal measures in a country home for a traditional, timeless feel or try them in a more contemporary setting, with Clove taking the lead, as a dramatic combination of dark neutral with slivers of palest green.