‘Starflower’ (c.1967). The most iconic design in the collection and available in 5 colourways – have a look at ‘Platinum’ for a much more subtle treatment of this nostalgic floral pattern.

Starflower - Above left: Original document (1967), centre & right: Starflower 'Original'

‘Lavaliers’ (c. 1975). A bold, geometric motif, the original paper was embossed and one of the five colourways in the collection authentically recreates it with the same print technique.

Lavaliers - Above left: Original document (1975), centre & right: Lavaliers 'Atomic'

‘Reverie’ (c.1971). Found in a wallpaper book from the 1970s, this design was clearly inspired by the artist Henri Rousseau.

Reverie - Above left: Original document (1971) and 'The Dream' by Henri Rousseau (1910), centre & right: Reverie 'Jungle'

‘Bark’ (c.1961). From the archives at Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery, this design has changed very little from the original. Two of the five colourways include a mica finish (a subtle, sparkly quality) which adds something new.

Bark - Above left: Original document (1961), centre & right: Bark 'Heath'

“Poppy Flower’ (c.1968). A combination of two designs from the same year, one found in Belgium and the other at the Whitworth Art Gallery, this design has been created in three softer colourways.

Poppy Flower - above left: Original documents (1968), centre & right: Poppy Flower 'Glacier'

‘Fern’ (c.1960). A stunning two-colour pattern that would originally have been screen-printed. If you’re looking for a punchy wallpaper, have a look at some of the other fabulous colourways in this design.

Fern - Above left: Original ferns used for this design, centre & right: Fern 'Off Black' & Fern 'Yellow'

‘Hepworth’ (c.1973). The original pattern was quite cramped so we maintained the elements of this design but gave them more room to breathe – a lovely informal paper for almost any room in the house.

Hepworth - Above left: Original document (1973), centre & right: Hepworth 'Menthe'

‘Box’ (c.1962). Another pattern that required very little work, this paper is available in four colourways, with variations in print technique to affect the way the design behaves in changing light conditions.

Box - Above left: Original document (1962), centre & right: Box 'Lime'

The Northern Design Awards bring together designers, retailers and property developers in a glittering celebration of Northern design and style. We are delighted that our 50s Line Papers are shortlisted in the ‘Best Wallpaper Collection’ category.

You can see what they’ve said about us and our involvement here; and while you’re there, it would be lovely if you could donate.

Home and Antiques Magazine

Thrifty Chic

More Thrify Chic

As you can see the featured wallpaper is from our London Wallpapers range and is the Craven Street wallpaper in “Country” colour.

Craven Street, Country

It’s packed with really useful information about the company and its comprehensive range of eco-friendly paints and wallpapers. You can use it as a reference tool, to decide which finish to use, to calculate paint requirements and to find out more about Little Greene’s ethos and green credentials.

All the wallpapers – including the latest collection of 50s Line Papers – are shown as flat shots as well as in lifestyle settings, and there’s a wide selection of aspirational paint images to choose from as well.

It’s available here to download in PDF format.

We hope you like it!

You can see our full range of wallpaper on our Flickr account ahead of the Friday launch date. We’ve had a fantastic response to the initial images we released at the end of December, with much discussion surrounding our wallpaper on other blogs, Twitter and on Flickr. It has been fascinating watching people discuss what we are producing and how they look forward to our new ranges.

These blogs can be found here -

http://housetrained.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/50s-wallpaper-by-little-greene

http://www.retrotogo.com/2011/01/little-greene-teams-up-with-whitworth-art-gallery-for-50s-line-papers-1950s-wallpaper-range.html

http://beautifulkitchens.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/bargains-to-new-designs-my-round-up-of-homes-blogs/

http://fleamarketchic.wordpress.com/

On other blogs for example we have had comments about our 50s line in anticipation of the launch:

Michelle Donald

Posted December 30, 2010 at 3:53 am

“Thankyou Marie for sharing here. I can’t quite decide which is my favourite… I really love the yellow… but then there’s the houses which are so cute and then…… Hmmmm this may take a while!”

Victoria

Posted January 2, 2011 at 9:54 pm

“What pretty paper, I really adore the black and white home one.”

Ampersand Design

Posted January 9, 2011 at 10:42 am

“Very nice. I like the yellow flowers and the house one is gorgeous.

Sandy K”

As you can see there has been a lot of interest and lovely comments about the 50s range and we are hoping that you like the wallpaper even more when it is launched on Friday.

The range will include the following:

• Florette style Acid Drop, Classic Grey, Soft Blue and Pastille
• Hampstead style Ink, Cloister, Cool Grey, James Blue and Yellow Apple
• Bouquet style Bonbon, Lily and Summer
• Herbes style Cocktail,  Spring, Coronation and Line
• Cones style Aurora, Lush, Lint, Mortar, Mode and Daybreak
• Quilt style Haar, Knot, Cardinal, Petiole and Canton
• Norcombe style Welkin, Jodhpur, Citron, Jazz and Couture
• Heath Stripe style Pewter, Goose, Cookie, Mineral Grey, Ash and Pistache

Winter

January

Source: Apartment Therapy

January continued very much in the same vain as 2009 with neutral colour schemes and a minimalist approach to furnishings. This was in part down to the economic downturn as home owners looked to use more conservative decorating techniques. This helped keep costs down and hold the value of the home. January was certainly not a month for bold statements.

As predicted, by many, chunky, clunky furniture that takes up lots of space were replaced with more refined and scaled down furniture. Chairs were a prime example as small furnished chairs sold in their thousands. These not only looked great but also saved money.

It comes as no surprise, but as mentioned in our 2010 predictions, grey became an extremely popular paint colour in the early part of 2010. Grey is perfect for apartments and clever lighting can help deliver both a stylish and warm feeling. Apartment Therapy featured an article about grey paint colours during this period also.

February

source: ColourLovers

In February we started to see the first signs of change. Soft pastel colours became increasingly popular. You only have to look at ColourLovers trends for this period to see the type of looks people were interested in. Light tones and accent walls could be seen in many homes.

The change in wall colours was not the only thing that changed in February. Fabrics became particularly popular with more and more people turning to fabric sofas. These went well with the new and bolder wall colours people were using. Fabrics are great during these winter months as they can be used to make a room feel much warmer. As a result people bought fabric sofas and installed new tightly patterned fabric curtains.

Spring

March

source: Apartment Therapy

March this year was a particularly popular time of year for renovating bathrooms and kitchens. Many bloggers commentated on the latest trends which included accessories and blue paint shades. In the kitchen designers and home owners started to make clever use of shelving and freestanding units. These created extra space and looked great.

Bathrooms always sell well around this time of year and are constantly evolving. It is probably the fastest moving area of interior design with so many styles and colour schemes. Bold colours traditionally haven’t worked well in bathrooms but with the flexibility of such spaces these became very popular in February 2010. Designers were also using accessories to create small features throughout bathrooms.

April

source: Little Greene

In spring design trends moved towards floral patterns and subtle colour tones. Fabric based furniture remained popular while white and purple paints were used. Designers also started to make more use of neutral yet soft carpets throughout the home. This is in stark contrast to 2009 were hard flooring was more popular.

Here at the Little Greene we saw a sharp increase in sales in our floral wallpaper range during this period. Floral patterns can work well in a range of rooms including hallways and bathrooms. You will mainly find these styles in more traditional houses.

May

source: Trend Hunter

Greens came back in a big way during May. Spring is a time that we often associated with natural colours such as white, green and purple. These are not only neutral but help provide a colour scheme that will be to most people’s tastes. This is particularly important when coming to sell your home.

In an unexpected return room dividers saw a resurgence in May 2010. The help of innovative designs and clever use of space made these not only functional but also desirable to home owners. Trend Hunter, who report on trends, even ran an entire piece on this and retailers such as IKEA began to sell then once again.

Summer

June

source: Wattrus

June marked the beginning of the summer and saw a continuation of many of the trends present in May. Again neutral colours and soft furnishings were the order of the day. On a separate yet surprising note geek chic became very popular during this time. Teenagers scrambled to get hold of geek imprinted cushions, wallpapers and desk accessories.

July

source: Apartment Therapy

With summer almost in full swing designers turned their attention to bedrooms. Floral patterns and light colours remained popular as designers tried to maximise the amount of sunlight coming into the home. It’s a time when we remove our thick winter bed quilts and bring in nice, airy and light bed sheets. Apartment Therapy put together a great piece on this during July.

Painted floors also became popular again for a short time. White floor paint is the single most popular colour for floors and can provide a stylish and affordable flooring solution. This approach is often used in bathrooms.

August

source: Flickr - Massminto354

In August bedroom and bathroom decorating continued to be popular. Since it was summer many designers took inspiration from the garden and bought many elements from the garden inside. House plant sales increased significantly and kitchen accessories were a must.

Home accessories as a whole became popular. Some innovative laptop pods were launched. These were perfect for people who shared a home.

Autumn

September

source: Floormats

Neutral colours have always been popular but there are ways to brighten up a room during those cold winter and autumn nights. In September bold and bright colours became the colours of choice. Strong warm reds were particularly popular. Many designers and home owners bought bright accessories and fabrics to offset their neutral wall colours and flooring.

During this month rugs sold particularly well and at the Little Greene we experienced a rise in sales for accent wall wallpapers. These are both great ways to create warmth within a room and make a real statement. This trend continued throughout the winter months.

October

source: Trend Bible

Fabric furnishings featured consistently throughout 2010 however in October these furnishing often came in bright, mixed and bold colours. Patterns varied much more widely and designers were no longer confined to conservative looks. These bright new colours promoted positivity and optimism and were used on everything from cushions to dining room chairs.

November

sourec: Flickr - xJavierx

Towards the latter end of 2010 bright colours continued to perform well. The lounge became the key focus for many and sofas sold particularly well during this month. The contemporary look and colours such as grey performed well in this month. Many home owners decorated their dining rooms during this time in preparation for Christmas.

December

In December people’s attention turns to Christmas and entertaining guests. As a result vast amounts are spent on accessories and decorations. The lounge is particularly important and lighting typically sells well this time of year. Floor standing lamps reportedly sold well in December.

This concludes our roundup of 2010 interior design trends. We have seen both subtle and bold changes in many areas and this trend is set to continue in 2011. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our predictions for 2011 and leave us a comment if you think there is anything we should add.

We will be making a special donation from every can of paint sold during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2010.

Specially labelled cans will be sold via the internet and UK stockists for the month of October. We’re committing to give 15p from the sale of every can of paint sold during the month and customers will have the opportunity to select the charity of their choice to determine how the money generated will be spent.

Customers will be able to vote for their preferred charity on-line on our website using a special landing page which will be live from 1st October through to the end of November.

At the conclusion of the month, the money generated will be calculated and then shared out proportionately according to the on-line voting.

Major breast cancer charity partners have joined up with us in an effort to raise awareness and provide much needed resources for breast cancer research and support networks, and our customers will be able to see the work done by these important agencies, as we’ll be adding links to their profiles at the start of the month.

David Mottershead, our MD comments “We are delighted to support such an important issue, one that is close to our hearts at Little Greene; this is part of a long-term commitment to help breast cancer sufferers and the associated research to beat this disease. I am confident the programme will be a success.”

More details to follow, so keep an eye on the blog for updates!

The aptly-titled Colour Scales® collection is exactly that: the card combines 12 of the best-loved colours from the Little Greene ‘Colours of England’ card with lighter or darker tones of each. The result is a delightfully soft palette that offers subtle variations of shade and an incredibly easy-to-use system for harmonising and combining colours in a room: an essential card for professional designers and home-decorators alike.

Livingroom in French Grey

Hallway in Bone China Blue Paint

David, our Managing Director commented that ‘Our customers repeatedly ask for varied strengths of our colours and this comes as no surprise – the practice of using scales of tone actually has its origins firmly rooted in age-old decorating techniques.’

Contrary to popular assumption there were, historically, no such things as set colour standards, so the designers & craftsmen of yesteryear would create paint shades ‘off the cuff’ by blending raw pigments themselves. Each artisan would subsequently reduce a particular shade with white, in order to produce a personalised collection, using these ‘scaled down’ colours either as individual shades or in harmonious groups to celebrate the architectural integrity of an individual room or entire building.

Little Greene’s Colour Scales® card has been designed to make the colour selection process very straightforward. The layout of overlapping paint chips overcomes the problem of viewing a colour surrounded by bright white (often the reason a shade appears to be lighter or darker on a colour chart than when painted on a larger expanse of wall). The Colour Scales® card enables the client to choose variations in colour strength in the same way the original designers, did but without the associated hassle of ‘mixing your own’.

In keeping with our quality-assurance, all colours are available in the full range of traditional and modern paint finishes, and the chips on the Colour Scales® card are accurate samples of both colour and finish, being made from actual paint direct from a tin of environmentally-friendly Acrylic Matt Emulsion rather than in a factory-matched ink.

From the beginning of April, Colour Scales® will be available nationally and internationally through Little Greene’s network of distributors. It can also be bought via mail & phone order and online.

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