Man transforms house from bland beige box to colourful haven
During lockdown many of us took advantage of the enforced time to give our homes a refresh and Richard O'Gorman was no different.
Having been furloughed then made redundant from his previous job as a model agent, O'Gorman, 30 from Erdington, Birmingham set about injecting some colour into his home.
And we're not just talking painting a feature wall or two.
Taking advantage of the extra time he had on his hands O'Gorman transformed his ordinary, neutrally decorated terraced house into an incredible colourful abode, worthy of a place in an interiors mag.
"When I first viewed the house in 2020, it was all very neutral and full of beiges," O'Gorman, who is now an interior stylist, explains.
"As soon as I stepped through the front door, I knew that this house needed to be in colour.
"I could picture various features of the house painted in a variety of bright colours."
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But his desire to ramp up the colour palette came as something as a surprise to O'Gorman, who had previously been a fan of chic minimalism.
"I never imagined I'd want to decorate my home in bold colours. I thought my style would be tasteful and minimal, not as wild as it is now," he explains.
"But decorating my new home in many colours just felt right."
After moving into the house in February 2020, O'Gorman was placed on furlough a few months later.
He used this opportunity to decorate his home believing he would never have this much time on his hands again.
"I went out and bought as many pots of paint as possible and just started painting," he explains.
"I began with the dining room which I painted blue and orange. When I told my family, they were shocked that I had gone for such loud colours.
"I started to experiment with the paint, adding shapes to various walls and my aesthetic started to develop from there.
"The more colours and shapes I was painting, the better it felt and I knew this was the right design for me."
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Despite never having picked up a paintbrush before, O'Gorman has managed to complete the impressive home transformation all by himself, aside from getting in a professional to plaster the walls.
He also taught himself to tile the floors and even how to plumb in the bathroom himself.
One of his favourite features in the house is the bathroom ceiling, which he decided to paint in a bold yellow.
"When the sunlight hits it, it shines through the landing," he says of the finished look.
"I feel so much happier because of all the colours that I am surrounded by."
Get creative with colour
Inspired by O'Gorman's colourful pad? The design team at Craig & Rose have put together their tips for the most exciting colour trends of the year with confident and creative use of colour continuing to be front and centre.
1. Warm soothing neutrals
After an uncertain period, we are in much need of familiar comfort and warmth, therefore we are enjoying a move away from cold, stark greys to more saturated, soothing neutrals. From mineral shades with pink undertones to more classic, creamy options that echo nature, opt for natural colours on all walls and introduce tonal shades and plenty of texture for an enveloping look that is timeless and reassuring.
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2. Calm restorative greens
Our love for green continues this season, renewed once again by our collective enjoyment of the outdoors. The popularity of introducing plant life to our homes extends onto our walls thanks to a greater understanding of the many benefits to health and wellbeing. Dark shades have been favourites more recently but as we move through 2022 we will see much lighter options; chosen for their ability to create a calming and rejuvenating atmosphere.
Greens are also an excellent backdrop to the multitude of warm neutrals, pink and earthy shades popular in homewares, making it easier to create a really interesting, multi-dimensional scheme.
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3. Rich earthy colours
This colour palette echoes our renewed love of warm, saturated palettes and our need for comfort. From more bold and daring tones to softer shades these earthy options are set to be big for the year ahead. Just as with greens, these colours also help to connect us with nature and can act as grounding backdrops.
4. Soft muted pastels
There is always room for gentler, softer colours and these muted options help to create sophisticated interiors especially when combined with high-end finishes such as marble and metallic details.
Their subtlety allows for incredible versatility so expect them to be strong choices for those looking to introduce colour into bathrooms and kitchens this year as well as being the perfect choice for a strong gender-neutral scheme.
5. Modern monochrome
Timeless palettes centred around black and white no longer feel cold and stark and this minimalists favourite has made way for a much warmer, tactile direction.
Off-white and almost-black shades are combined with warm woods and slices of accent colour which evoke a strong sense of personality.
6. Happy colours
Considering all possible surfaces for colour is one of the most interesting ways to add personality to your home. While the walls are the obvious choice - don’t forget about the ceiling and the opportunity to rethink your woodwork and doors.
Upcycling and repurposing furniture or getting creative with murals is an enjoyable way to express your creative side, while unexpected pockets of joyful colour or surface texture can cleverly highlight original features or zones.
7. Confident colour drenching
Confident use of colour doesn’t have to necessarily mean bright. Having the courage to take a colour you love across multiple surfaces is one of the hottest looks for 2022. Swatching your entire room in beautiful, jaw-dropping, highly-saturated colour is a really effective way to create impact.
Additional reporting Caters.
