Never has the concept of a fresh lick of paint seemed so apt. This new year, we’re brightening up our walls with established brands that offer crisp new colours, alongside game-changing new names in the world of interior emulsion.
CIAO, SOFIA
COAT is an exciting young paint brand that aims to change the way we shop for our wall colours. In response to our continually evolving and fast-paced wants, a new limited edition shade will be available every month, for one month only – alongside the brand’s 30 strong core range. This is in close collaboration with some of interior design’s style-setters including Manon Planche and Nua x Design, whose rebellious bright pink Amoureuse was recently seen at a collaborative fashion pop-up in Notting Hill. And like all the best paint brands, COAT’s colours are wildly creative when it comes to names, just like the grubby pink Ciao, Sofia. Keep an eye out for January’s no. 31 hue, Maverick. From £25 (coatpaints.com)
MONOLITH
While global travel might be off the agenda – for now – Andrew Martin’s new paint collection pays tribute to some of the far-flung destinations that have inspired the luxury brand for over 40 years – and it promises to ignite our wanderlust, too. Eco-friendly and highly durable, there are a whopping 114 new hues to choose from: Saharan Skies to Salt Flats; Welsh Slate to Timbuktu; and Greenwich Blue to Portobello Pink, if you’re after a shade that’s a little closer to home. Monolith is a warm, mid-toned grey interior paint with a hint of mauve, and it’s as elegant as it is earthy. From £39 (andrewmartin.co.uk)
YELLOW 01
Bucking the norm on fancy paint names is the fashion-forward Lick, where the simple, numbered colours are entirely in fitting with the brand’s fuss-free ethos and utilitarian aesthetic: think sleek, vintage oil tin packaging, user-friendly peel and stick samples, and unpretentious colour descriptions (mid blue grey blend or mid lilac with a hint of grey). Naturally, these progressive paints are high on coverage, low on carbon and are 100 per cent vegan. And in a recent move, the brand have teamed up with Made to make the job of buying paint online even easier. The soft and buttery Yellow 01 promises sunnier days ahead. £38 (made.com)
VINTAGE GREEN
You know your four walls are in safe hands with Designers Guild, whose wallpaper and furnishing fabrics have adorned some of London’s finest homes since 1970. This may be a long-established brand but its paint offering is decidedly fresh. The new Earth Tones collection sees bold botanical shades mix with stony neutrals in a range of indoor and outdoor finishes to inspire our DIY ambitions. (Think Cedar Tree in water-based eggshell or Sussex Flint in masonry paint). With the grassy-hued Vintage Green on our interior walls we’re bringing the outside in this January – whilst holding out for springtime. From £25 (designersguild.com)
BRAVE GROUND
Dulux’s 2021 colour of the year forms part of the brand’s new Earth palette, which sees complementary, nature-inspired tones come together harmoniously. Echoing the colours of the sea, sky and soil, wistful blues and calming greens are offset against the warm and earthy Brave Ground – and it is a heady contrast. As a neutral, the shade acts as a base upon which more vibrant colours can really pop out, such as the jewel-toned Mysterious Teal. And with the knowledge that Dulux’s colour connoisseurs have already done the hard job in putting the palette together, we’re given permission to get creative with our feature walls. From £16.42 (dulux.co.uk)