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An urban living colour workshop at Affinity Living

An urban living colour workshop at Affinity Living

March 11th, 2024

Little Greene

In partnership with Affinity Living, Little Greene presented an inspirational Colour Workshop at their Riverview apartments. Our Wilmslow Showroom Colour Consultant, Charlotte, shared expert tips and ideas for how you can add personal flair to your space using paint colours in our palette.

Read more about the workshop and find inspiration for your own project…

The Affinity Living Workshop

Affinity Living provide contemporary, city-living apartments in the heart of Manchester, where renters can freely decorate their space. The urban apartments provide a blank canvas upon which to introduce paints and wallpapers that reflect your personal style, allowing you to truly make the space your own.

With our Head Office based in Manchester, we were delighted to hold a Colour Workshop to provide colour inspiration for the Affinity Living community and other interiors-enthusiasts. Charlotte, our Colour Consultant from our nearby Wilmslow showroom, hosted the event and welcomed guests to visit the showroom to plan their projects.

The Workshop was held in Affinity Living’s flagship Riverview location, which overlooks the River Irwell with a versatile lounge, co-working and events space. Guests enjoyed drinks supplied by Fizz 86 before relaxing on the sofa to discover Charlotte’s expert colour advice. Little Greene colour cards, Fandecks and Little Books of Colour were on-hand for guests to explore, and everyone went home with a luxurious goodie bag, filled with tools to begin their home refresh.

Our Urban Living Decorating Tips

If you are living in an apartment setting, it’s important to add your own stamp to your living space, so that it becomes somewhere you can feel at home. Using paint is a simple way to transform your urban living apartment into a space that reflects your personality and style.

Ceiling: Julie’s Dream, Left Wall: Masquerade – Mid, Right Wall: Masquerade, Panelling: Masquerade – Light

How do you want the space to feel?

Before choosing a colour, consider how you want your space to feel and – more importantly – how you want to feel in your space. Order your free Little Greene colour card and consider which colours you are instantly drawn to – is it bold and lively colours, or shades that are softer and more calming? Instead of being swayed by trends, spend time considering which colours you will feel comfortable and confident living with in your home. You can find inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest to help you discover your own style, before you start ordering paint sample pots.

Ceiling: Slaked Lime - Mid, Walls: Sage Green

Different paint colours create different moods and atmospheres, so this is a wonderful place to start when planning your scheme. Greens reflect nature, creating a sense of tranquillity, peace and wellbeing. This can be particularly useful in urban environments where you might see less green space around you. Blues also remind us of the sea and sky, perfect for bringing clarity, calm or focus to your scheme.

Explore greens…

Explore blues…

Yellow paint colours range from rich honey tones to bright sunshine yellows, but they are often fabulous shades to boost your mood and bring confidence to your scheme. Similarly, red and pink paint colours can be soft, dusky and alluring or bold and impactful, always adding character and offering a touch of romance.

Explore yellows…

Explore reds and pinks…

4 ideas for decorating your urban living space

Upper Wall: Stock, Panelling: Travertine

1. Zoning with colour

This is a great starting point for decorating smaller, or open-plan living spaces. Although your living space may be open plan, you might choose a light and sunny area where you will work during the day, and a cosier lounge area where you will relax in the evening.

Using the Colour Scales is the perfect way to create a space with flow, whilst providing subtle contrast to suit the demands of each area. Consider Travertine for your snug or lounge to create a cosy, cocooning feel, and coordinate with Stock in your work-from-home space, for a lighter, brighter atmosphere that will provide motivation.

Upper Wall: Book Room Green, Lower Wall: Sage Green, Right Wall: Green Stone – Pale, Door, Dado & Skirting: Sage Green

2. Darker woodwork, lighter walls.

Many modern apartments lack architectural details such as panelling, coving or dado rails. However, you can incorporate colour to emulate these elements and add character to your contemporary home. This method also allows you to introduce a stronger colour that you love, without committing to it on every wall.

Use two shades from one Colour Scales family for a complementary pairing that will work harmoniously together. You could try Livid on skirtings with Ceviche on the walls, for example. Or use Sage Green on a piece of furniture to complement walls in Book Room Green.

Wallpaper: Bird and Bluebell – Pea Green. Ceiling: Dorchester Pink, Window Frame: Green Stone - Light, Skirting: Puck

3. Use the ceiling as the fifth wall.

Ceilings are often painted in brilliant white out of habit, but this shade is in fact very hard to live with, creating a harsh line on the ceiling. You can easily provide a gentler living environment just by choosing a coordinating shade for your ceiling – whether that’s a slightly lighter colour or a pale neutral with related undertones.

If you’re looking for a versatile white, Slaked Lime is a soft, mineral white that complements most colours in the Little Greene palette. You could also consider a statement ceiling, using a bold colour that complements your walls, bringing impact and personality to your scheme.

Including a Painted Ceiling in Your Scheme

Ceiling & Walls: Giallo, Cupboard: Giallo, Left Wall: Bone China Blue – Faint

4. Colour drench your space.

Painting your walls, woodwork and ceiling all in one colour means there are no contrasts to draw your eye. This can create the illusion of a larger room – the perfect solution for more compact apartment spaces.

If you love minimalist style, consider colour drenching your urban apartment. You can embrace a soft neutral or a bolder colour if you prefer, each providing a clean backdrop with no contrasts or harsh lines.

Embracing Colour Drenching in Your Home

Order a colour card to begin your project or visit the Advice Pages for more help and inspiration.