How are you? I hope this Sunday finds you with a cup of something cosy in hand.
After a whirlwind week at Decorex, one of the world’s leading interior design shows held at Olympia London, I’m still pinching myself that I was invited to speak there for the very first time. Decorex is a celebration of craftsmanship, creativity, and innovation in interior design, bringing together hundreds of the most inspiring designers and brands from all around the globe. It was such an honour to be part of it, to stand alongside so many talented creatives and speak about something so close to my heart: our emotional connection to colour and how it shapes the way we live and feel in our homes.
After such an inspiring few days, I wanted to send you a nourishing dollop of interiors inspiration and a gentle guide to help you bring your own colour dreams to life.
That’s why this week I want to address the most popular question I got asked at Decorex: how on earth do you create a colour story at home? How do you make colours flow, from room to room, in a way that feels harmonious but never boring? And lucky for us, I’ve just the story to share, because I worked with the wonderful Mary Charteris on her Victorian townhouse, and honestly, her home is the perfect answer.
Me & Mary in her kitchen
Mary’s Bedroom Suite
Mary’s Bedroom Suite
Mary Charteris: Home As Personality
Mary is the epitome of cool, fashion trendsetter, DJ, and a woman whose creativity radiates through everything she touches. She came to her home renovation bursting with ideas, but, like so many of us, wasn’t sure how to curate all those strong, happy colours into something that felt united rather than chaotic. What’s beautiful about Mary is that her home is a pure expression of her energy: vibrant, playful, yet deeply considered. She bravely mixes strong hues, but always with a sense of cohesion and optimism.
The Layout, Let Me Walk You Through It
Imagine a Victorian townhouse over four floors. On the ground floor, you step into an airy, light-filled kitchen, dining, and family space, with the original living room now transformed into an intimate snug. Upstairs, the second floor is home to the primary guest room and bathroom. Up again, and you’re in Mary and Robbie’s suite, with a dressing space and en suite, a dreamy sanctuary. And at the very top, two more bedrooms, including one for her daughter Wilde.
Ensuite:
Dressing Room
The Colour Palette and Why It Works
Here’s the magic: blue, in all its many personalities, is the thread. Each room carries a variation on blue, from the palest, tranquil versions, right through to bold, expressive hues. This isn’t about everything matching. Instead, the palette morphs as you move through the house, with accents of teal, lilac, purple and even splashes of red or green, always anchored by blue’s calming presence. The result is a home that feels connected and beautifully alive, never flat or expected.
Family Bathroom
Guest Bedroom
Room-By-Room: The Dreamy Details
The Downstairs glows with White 02 on walls and ceilings, keeping things spacious and welcoming, balanced by small punches of colour in soft furnishings and Mary’s treasured objects.
The Guest Bedroom feels cocooning and calm, grounded in Teal 03, a velvety blue-green with soothing depth and warmth. It has those gentle blue undertones that continue the thread of colour flowing through the whole home, creating such a beautiful sense of harmony and connection.
Bedroom Suite: Walls and skirting are wrapped in pale Blue 01, fit for tranquil sleep, with Teal 01 on wardrobes and flashes of purple underfoot (yes, the floors!). That bold purple, next to blue, so daring, but so harmonious.
Dressing Room: Instead of hiding from dark spaces, Mary went bold, a saturated, heavily saturated green in a high gloss finish on every surface. It’s rock-chick drama, punctuated with a cheeky leopard print carpet.
Ensuite: The wow factor is real. Vibrant warm blue walls, a curved vintage mirror, and that joyful, playful touch that’s so Mary.
The Family Bathroom: a beautifully aquamarine green (Green 08) with soft blue undertones. It’s such a restful, restorative shade, and you can really see how blue becomes the gentle thread that ties all of Mary’s rooms together, creating a calm flow throughout her home.
Every decision in Mary’s home is proof that when you know how colour works, and you trust the process, your house can lift your mood day after day. Use tonal variations, repeat one anchor colour through different rooms, and don’t be afraid of boldness. Strong colours, handled thoughtfully, become sources of energy and pockets of joy.
I hope Mary’s story inspires you to look at your own space differently this week. Next week, I’ll be sharing some thoughts from my Decorex talk and plenty of new inspiration.
Till next week,
Tash