Into the Deep | Colour

Decorating · The Home Edit

This season's most beautiful interiors are leaning into richer, warmer colours. Velvety aubergines, earthy reds and honeyed neutrals. Here's why depth is becoming the new definition of luxury, and how to bring it into your home.

Goodbye, grey

For years, every beautiful room seemed to begin with grey. Calm, understated and endlessly versatile, it became the backdrop to modern living.

That is changing. The colours we reach for now feel warmer, richer and more instinctive. We're decorating less for trends and more for ourselves.

In our Decorating Department, we're seeing customers choose deeper, earthier tones from Little Greene, Farrow & Ball and Dulux Heritage. Aubergines, wine reds, softened browns and comforting neutrals. These are colours that wrap around a room rather than simply decorate it. The result feels layered, welcoming and personal.

Closer to nature

Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene, sees the shift as part of a wider wish to reconnect with nature at home.

"We've seen a clear movement towards warm, earthy colours that provide soothing, comforting interiors, helping people connect more with the natural environment."

Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director, Little Greene

Little Greene's Adventurer captures the mood. It's a rich aubergine with burgundy undertones: sophisticated, and more versatile than you might expect. It works in bedrooms and dining rooms, and on statement cabinetry. Ruth expects "a natural progression in the use of burgundy, with shades of red, pink and purple becoming more popular as customers continue to demonstrate more colour confidence in their homes."

Colour with character

Farrow & Ball is known for colours of real richness and complexity. Its paints respond to changing light, showing different undertones from morning to evening. That depth is a big part of their lasting appeal.

Brinjal, inspired by the glossy skin of an aubergine, is one of the brand's best-loved shades. Use it to wrap a dining room, add drama to a snug or turn a bedroom into a restful retreat. It feels both timeless and current. Alongside earthy browns, olives and rich reds, it shows how confident we've become with darker, more immersive colour.

"People are becoming more confident with colour and using it to create rooms that feel personal, comforting and full of character."

Charlotte Cosby, Creative Director, Farrow & Ball

Walls that feel like a hug

At Dulux Heritage, colour is more than decoration. It shapes how we experience our homes and how we feel in them.

"Colour is an unspoken visual language we use to express and enhance the way we feel."

Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director, Dulux Heritage

That emotional pull is what's drawing homeowners to warmer palettes. Florentine Red and Pugin Red bring drama without harshness. Softer tones such as Dark Sand prove a neutral can still feel warm, elegant and inviting. In Marianne's words, they're colours that "give your walls a hug."

The Into the Deep palette

Six shades we'd choose this season. Three to set the mood and three to balance them. All available in our Decorating Department.

Little Greene

Adventurer

The statement shade

A rich aubergine with burgundy undertones. Ideal for cosy bedrooms, elegant dining rooms or colour-drenched living spaces.

Pair with: China Clay or Sage Green.

Dulux Heritage

Florentine Red

The heritage hero

A deep, full-bodied red that brings warmth and character to hallways, dining rooms and home offices without overpowering them.

Pair with: Dark Stone and natural oak.

Farrow & Ball

Brinjal

The timeless classic

Inspired by the glossy skin of an aubergine. Sophisticated and cocooning, from morning through to evening.

Pair with: brushed brass, natural walnut and soft linen. Or contrast with Stiffkey Blue for a bold, contemporary scheme.

Little Greene

Sage Green

The perfect partner

Fresh, calm and balanced. Sage Green softens richer shades and works well on cabinetry, woodwork or adjoining rooms.

Dulux Heritage

Dark Stone

The new neutral

A warm, earthy neutral that softens deeper aubergines. Use it to balance richer tones for a scheme that feels layered and relaxed.

Farrow & Ball

Elephant's Breath

The modern neutral

A warm greige with subtle magenta undertones. Soft and sophisticated, never cold. Elegant on whole rooms, woodwork or cabinetry.

Try colour drenching

One look showing no sign of fading is colour drenching: walls, ceilings, skirting boards and even doors painted in the same shade. It creates a quietly luxurious backdrop that feels immersive rather than overwhelming.

It's especially striking with richer colours. The architecture becomes part of the design, and the room takes on an unexpected sense of calm.

Start small

If a darker palette feels like a leap, begin with something smaller. A painted bookcase, kitchen island, hallway, cloakroom or front door gives you enough colour to change a space without overwhelming it.

Then layer richer tones with natural oak, brushed brass, limestone and tactile fabrics such as linen, bouclé and velvet. The result feels relaxed, collected and elegant.

Styling notes

• Colour-drench walls, ceilings and woodwork for an immersive look.
• Pair rich colours with natural oak, brushed brass, limestone and warm metals.
• Layer velvet, bouclé and linen to add softness and texture.
• Introduce darker shades gradually, with a hallway, cloakroom, kitchen island or painted bookcase, before committing to a full room.

Ask the paint team

Choosing paint is about more than finding a colour you love. Our decorating team will help you find the right palette, finish and quantity for your space, taking into account natural light and the colours and materials already in the room. A few things we always recommend:

Whether you're drawn to the craftsmanship of Little Greene, the depth of Farrow & Ball or the heritage of Dulux Heritage, the future of decorating isn't about playing it safe. It's about choosing colours that reflect how you want to live, and how you want to feel.

This article first appeared in The Home Edit, Issue 1, Autumn/Winter 2026. Home starts here.