Colour report
Deep, dark burgundy and aubergine are having an interiors renaissance – the richness of these shades will elevate the luxe levels of any room
COSY CORNER
‘We love to cocoon our cinema rooms with colour; the deep burgundy tone adds warmth and comfort,’ explains Camilla Clarke, creative director of Albion Nord. ‘When using one tone, the key is to mix up the textures. Here, we’ve chosen a rich red velvet sofa to sit against horsehair fabric panelled walls and a bespoke ottoman upholstered in an antique rug in the same hue.’ Sofa in Cedar velvet, Rose Uniacke. Wall panels in FEATURE Strie, George Spence Designs
there’s a depth and intensit y to one of the biggest colour trends of 2024 that the design world’s previous darlings, off-white and pale beige, cannot match. Like brown – another shade on the up –red wine tones like burgundy and aubergine are dark, moody, intriguing. A sign, perhaps, of turning inward and embracing our homes as a respite from a restless world.
But how to use such spirited shades? As with many darker colours, it’s often best to go all-in. In many designs – see Kingston Lafferty’s hallway, right – we’ve seen the two shades used together, atonal match that miraculously works in traditional and contemporar y spaces alike. It’s a pairing made even better, we think, with a third accent colou r. Chartreuse, for example, could be the surprising third addition to the party that takes aroom from moody but muted to dynamic and energetic.
And for lighter schemes, a creamy white looks clean and balanced, Brooklyn interior designer Julia Mack told us: ‘Begin with dark burgundy walls, which will recede in your space, then add in a textural white – consider a bouclé. Then add pops of red as an accent colour in artwork and decorative accessories to create a layered, interesting space.’
Texture is always welcome in a scheme where deep, intense shades take centre stage: burgundy and aubergine will stand up to wool, bouclé and shearling. And of course, incorporating these materials will only help to amplify the feeling of luxury these colours create – isn’t that what we all want from our interiors right now?
1 ALL THE GLOSS
In this hall by Kingston Lafferty Design, burgundy, aubergine and red lean into the lack of light. ‘We went quite rich and moody with the palette,’ says founder Róisín Lafferty. ‘[The wall paint] gives a sense of drama and brings all the colour tones tighter. The contrast of the orange in the console and the bold red artwork completes the space.’ Walls in Eating Room Red, Farrow &Ball. Console, Martin & Brockett at 1stDibs. Ar
