Seven colourful houses from the House & Garden archive that prove bold is best
Among the many skills possessed by our 2026 HG101 honourees is the ability to create utterly distinct, elegant spaces – from colourful houses to monastic havens. Such spaces are not the type of thing that can be copy-and-pasted from an Instagram post, but are the result of meticulous examination of the room in question: ‘how does the light move around it?’, ‘what kind of decoration does the architecture want?’ and ‘what colours will bring this room to life?’. Indeed, the former two questions very much inform the latter – it is essential when approaching the decoration of a space to understand that not any colour will work in any room.
Colour is often considered to be a decorators greatest weapon: one that can transform a space from drab and dreary to joyful and bright. A colourful room does not necessarily mean a kaleidoscopic one, but one which demonstrates a balanced mixture of shades and tones that harmonise beautifully. These tones may come to life through textiles and furniture set against neutral walls, or through brave paint colours off-set by antique furniture. The possibilities are endless and can be a little overwhelming. Which is why we have gathered a handful of the most inspiring and colourful houses by names on the HG101 list. This is how to use colour according to the best of the best.
Michael Sinclair1/14Maria Speake brings bold colour and salvaged materials to a curator's west London house
It is no surprise that art dominates the west London house of photographer and curator Steve Lazarides. But this is no austere, gallery like space: it is a characterful, comfortable family home thanks to Maria Speake of Retrouvius and her skilful use of bold colours and salvaged materials.
Beginning in the basement, Maria reworked an impractical 1980s conservatory, extending the back of the house to make a light-filled and generous, but not cavernous, kitchen. It is now a vibrant room, teeming with artistic flourishes. Painted in an offbeat mustard yellow (Little Greene's ‘Yellow Pink’), it now has a warm palette based on the autumn colours of the mildly explicit wallpaper by the owners' artist friend Jonathan Yeo, which they were set on incorporating here. Alongside kaleidoscopic prints by the couple's favourite Pop art nun Corita Kent, antique museum display cases, textile archive frames, salvaged iroko and parquet flooring find second lives as a large kitchen island, cabinets and doors disguising a miniature walk-in boot room
Michael Sinclair2/14Walls in an earthy shade by Francesca's Paints give the study a warm, inviting feel and set off an original photograph of Banksy from Steve's Banksy Captured series. An Eames chair partners the desk, which is topped with salvaged timber (also used to make the ladder) and has drawer fronts featuring cigar moulds. The artwork visible underneath the desk is Partly Elizabeth by Charming Baker.
Boz Gagovski3/14A handsome late-Georgian house in north London with a rich palette by Tom Morris
The work of a 20th-century Italian artist was the inspiration for the rich palette used by interior designer Tom Morris to bring warmth and character to this late-Georgian house in north London and to showcase distinctively patterned textiles. Steps lead down from the music room to this vibrant space lined in wallpaper by Diddletron, which sets off curtains in Sone's ‘Trianon Stripe’, a Tylko cabinet and a rug from Larusi. The 1960s Swedish tripod light from Retrospective Interiors picks up on the sofa covered in ‘Hanging 1925’ from Christopher Farr Cloth.
Boz Gagovski4/14Curtains in Soane's turmeric 'Old Flax', in the music room, also used in the sitting room, create a link between the two spaces. Little Greene's 'Bronze Red' on the architrave contrasts with walls in Farrow & Ball's ‘Treron’, which are the backdrop for Pinch's ‘Gentle’ lamps on a 1950s French sideboard and a piano partnered by a 1920s Japanese shoe-polisher's stool.
Milo Brown5/14A vibrant 19th-century Chelsea house by Lonika Chande
Interior designer Lonika Chande has created a charming pied-à-terre full of bold textiles and colours for a returning client. As Lonika notes, there was a real synergy between designer and client in this project, and it is palpable in the project's outcome. ‘The clients love bold textiles and pairing unexpected colours, and really trusted us to tackle this project.’ In the sitting room, the joinery was hand painted in a rich blue by Papers & Paints (7-077), and the internal cubby holes are in ‘Beresford Red’ by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. The joinery was made by RC Joinery.
The sofa is upholstered in ‘Peacock’, a heavyweight linen by Rose Uniacke. Most of the cushions were handmade for the project, but the central sofa cushion is from Penny Worrall.
Milo Brown6/14The kitchen is grounded by cabinets in a custom green (which Lonika describes as the ‘perfect sludgy colour to complement the banquette’) and a bespoke ebonised oak pedestal table from Galvin Brothers, which set the tone for bright colours and a mixture of stripes elsewhere: the banquette upholstery is Penny Morrison's ‘Multicolour Rustic Stripe’, while a roman blind is made from Flora Soames’s ‘Plain Stripe in Emerald’. Sunny and bright, the inside of the shelves are painted in ‘Babouche’ by Farrow and Ball.
Simon Brown7/14A Notting Hill townhouse brought to life using vibrant colour and pattern by Studio Vero
When the owners bought this Victorian house in Notting Hill, it was in good condition but with very bland interiors. They called in Studio Vero who added an array of colour and glamour to breathe new life into it. Farrow & Ball’s ‘Brinjal’, a rich aubergine, is used for all the woodwork in the hall and right up the stairs, while the walls, in ‘Jonquil’, Edward Bulmer’s tender pink, loses any hint of the boudoir when teamed with this strong colour. The greens of the abstract rug by Gideon Hatch is matched in the green and white lamp from Palefire. The bench, a find at Biombo Mobilier in Paris, is woven in wide bands of the same green.
Simon Brown8/14Farrow & Ball’s ‘Brinjal’ continues into the dining area, where it is used on the windows to frame a view to the garden. The walls here are in ‘Drizzle’ from Little Green, and a Peter Page rug brings a casual feel to the room, with its custom-made dining table surrounded by chairs from Howe. The striking banquette seat is covered in green leather from Howe's 36 Bourne Street, its back in Pied de Coq fabric from Le Manach. The hanging lamps are from BTC, and the existing curtains were trimmed with Munro braid by Mulberry. The mid-century bar is from Dorian Caffot de Fawes.
Rebecca Reid9/14A Marylebone pied-à-terre with a colourfully chic interior by Waldo Works
This tiny Marylebone flat decorated by Tom Bartlett of Waldo Works is a lesson in using colour: the bathroom is resplendent in electric yellow and green tiles, a scheme based on a 1930s bathroom Tom had seen in Havana.
Rebecca Reid10/14The hallway sets the tone – an unquestionable personable space despite its miniature scale, with bright blue walls and deeper blue doors with fat, glossy handles. ‘I had in mind the idea of going into a nightclub where you’re not quite sure if you’re invited, or which door to go through,’ says Tom. ‘I like that it’s slightly confusing, and you might not immediately be sure if something is a door or a wall.’ With 1970s Paris in mind, he was contemplating a full-on leopard print carpet, but settled, in the end, for a muted Pierre Frey take on the style. The space features Arte's ‘Le Corbusier Dots’ wallpaper, while doors are made particularly striking thanks to D-Line's ‘Fat’ door handle, designed by Tom Dixon. Another Marianna Kennedy book cloth blind in ‘Saxe Blue’ continues the theme.
Christopher Horwood11/14An impressive Georgian townhouse in London given a youthful energy by Stella Weatherall
Keen readers of House & Garden may recognise this project by Stella Weatherall from the cover of our January 2026 issue, which made waves for its playful yet grown-up aesthetic. In the drawing room, a predominantly pink scheme dominated: a soft shade on the walls is punctuated by sofas covered in Claremont’s natural ‘Nuages’ and zinnia ‘Arcadia’ from Schuyler Samperton Textiles with armchairs in Guy Goodfellow Collection’s campari ‘Langton Silk’. Combined with a footstool in natural ‘Barlow’ cotton from Schumacher with clever pink piping, the textiles sit in harmony.
Christopher Horwood12/14Against a base of Soane’s ‘Wild Tulip – Original’ wallpaper, the study-cum-bar area of the same house is at once glamorous and grounded. High-gloss cabinets in postbox red bounce light around the space. They are offset by the Turkish flatweave rug from Robert Stephenson. Additional colour and pattern arrive in the form of an antique chair covered in Soane’s ‘Qajar Stripe’ linen, with Flora Soames’ ‘The Little Waltine’ stool, echo the ‘Zig Zag’ drinks table by Jermaine Gallacher.
Boz Gagovski13/14A 16th-century Cotswold cottage gently revived by Brandon Schubert
When Brandon's clients called him in to work on their country cottage, it was a different type of project for the interior designer, who embarked on a pure redecoration without touching any of the architecture, electrics or plumbing of the house. Detailing the project in his own words, Brandon notes his considered use of colour: ‘Much like the architecture of the house itself, the furniture, colours, fabric and lighting feel eclectic, shifting from a bright pop of plain colour to a stripe, then to a botanical print, then to a check,’ he says. In the garden room, Farrow & Ball’s ‘India Yellow’ sets a sunny tone, which is complemented by a mixture of prints and textiles. The existing sofa has been re-covered in Winchester fabric from Claremont, while a green gingham fabric sits atop a side table. On the floor, a vintage rug ties the scheme together.
Boz Gagovski14/14The sitting room is painted in ‘Tea with Florence’ from Little Greene. The striped chairs are covered in a silk from Madeaux stocked by Tissus d’Helene. The sofa is covered in Rooksmore velvet from Lewis and Wood and the ottoman is covered in Demetra from Susan Deliss. Adding to the sophisticated yet colourful scheme are cushions in a mix of fabrics from Decors Barbares, Flora Soames and Jeffrey Bilhuber.
