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Beyond Paint: Falling in Love with Wallpaper Again

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:12:45 GMT

Why Wallpaper?

Wallpaper allows you to create atmosphere and identity within a room. Whether you're aiming for soft and serene or bold and dramatic, there's a wallpaper to match every vision.

Textured wallpapers bring warmth and subtle sophistication.
Bold patterns can energise and define a space.
Stripes and geometrics can reshape how a room feels, making it seem taller, wider, or more cohesive.

Unlike paint, which offers colour alone, wallpaper brings a tactile and visual richness that can feel like a luxury upgrade — without the need for structural changes.

Wallpaper That Transforms: How the Right Design Can Elevate Your Home

When it comes to refreshing a space, wallpaper is one of the most powerful tools in interior design. While paint is often the default choice, wallpaper offers something unique — the ability to introduce depth, texture, and personality in ways that instantly elevate a room.

At Calico, we believe wallpaper is more than decoration — it’s a design statement that can completely change the way you experience your home.

Not Just for Walls

Wallpaper is incredibly versatile. It can be used:

To line the backs of bookcases or glass cabinets
Inside wardrobe doors or cupboards

These unexpected placements can add charm and personality without overwhelming a space.

Introducing Mural Wallpaper: Art for Your Walls

One of the most impactful ways to use wallpaper is through large-scale mural designs . These panoramic scenes and oversized prints turn an ordinary wall into a focal point — perfect for feature walls, bedrooms, offices, or dining spaces.

From abstract landscapes and botanical prints to vintage maps or moody cloudscapes, mural wallpapers tell a story. Many can be tailored to the exact dimensions of your wall, ensuring a seamless and bespoke finish.

 Looking to transform your space?
Let wallpaper do the talking. Get in touch with us to book a consultation or pop in to explore our sample library — we’d love to bring your vision to life.

2025 Colour Trends

Wed, 21 May 2025 10:27:22 GMT

What's hot in UK Interiors for 2025?

As we move through 2025, the UK decorating scene is embracing a warmer, more grounded palette. This year’s colour trends are all about comfort, personality, and reconnecting with nature—perfect for those looking to refresh their space with timeless yet on-trend tones.

Whether you're planning a full redecoration or just thinking about adding some colour to your home, here are the shades making waves this year.

Uplifting Yellows & Butter Tones

Soft, buttery yellows are having a big moment. Shades like Dulux’s 'True Joy' bring a sense of optimism and light to any room—ideal for kitchens or hallways that need a cheerful lift. These tones also pair beautifully with sage green, dusky pink, and natural timber finishes. 'Sunlight' by Little Greene is a sunny option with vintage character.

Dusky Mauves & Muted Purples

For something with depth and elegance, dusky purples and mauves are rising in popularity. These gentle tones offer a more interesting alternative to greys, bringing warmth and character without overpowering the space. Benjamin Moore’s 'Cinnamon Slate' blends plum and brown for a sophisticated finish. Farrow and Balls 'Brassica' is another great choice with underlying hints of black.

Timeless Greens

From deep olive to forest green, nature-inspired tones remain a firm favourite. They work wonderfully in studies, kitchens, or even on joinery. We’re seeing a big rise in “colour drenching” too—painting walls, woodwork, and ceilings in one unified green for a bold yet calming effect. A wonderful example is Benjamin Moores 'Dakota Shadow', that reflects the forest at dusk. It has that grounded, sophisticated tone that pairs well with terracotta, brass, and warm neutrals. Farrow and Balls 'Bancha' is another great choice.

Terracotta & Warm Reds

Warm, earthy reds like terracotta and clay pink are being used to introduce richness and warmth into interiors. These tones are especially beautiful when paired with natural stone, wood, or brass accents. Ideal for feature walls or dining rooms where you want to create a sense of drama and elegance. Benjamin Moores 'Audubon Russet' is also a lovely option.

Dusky, Moody Blues

Soft, grey-blues are the perfect antidote to overly cool interiors. These shades offer a calming presence and look particularly stunning in north-facing rooms, helping to soften harsher natural light. They also pair well with warm neutrals and muted metallics for a balanced, restful palette. Farrow and Ball's 'Stiffly Blue' or Benjamin Moore's 'Gentleman's Grey' are great examples of this, that are very moody and rich and pair beautifully with brass, warm woods, and soft white trims.

Earthy Browns & Chocolate Neutral

Warm browns are back in a big way. Think deep cocoa, caramel, and soft clay shades. These colours create a cosy, cocooned feel that works particularly well in living rooms and bedrooms. Benjamin Moore's 'Branchport Brown' is a great example - It’s a rich, warm, grounded brown with subtle red undertones. It pairs beautifully with creamy whites, muted greens, and natural materials like oak or linen.

The 2025 palette is all about creating spaces that feel lived-in, layered, and full of personality. Whether you’re drawn to earthy warmth or soft elegance, this year’s colour trends offer something for every style of home.

Looking to bring these colours to life in your space? With over 25 years of experience in high-quality paint finishes, we’d be delighted to help. From walls and woodwork to bespoke furniture painting, our team offers expert decorating services that make every detail count.

Get in touch today to start your transformation.

Get Fancy: Add Drama, Depth, and Modern Elegance to Any Room

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 08:57:07 GMT

Metallic paint effects are having a well-deserved moment in interior design—and for good reason. These unique finishes introduce a striking, contemporary edge that instantly transforms walls and ceilings into reflective, light-catching surfaces full of dimension and intrigue.

Whether you’re styling a modern home or adding a touch of luxury to a traditional space, metallics offer versatility, sophistication, and undeniable visual impact.

What Makes Metallic Paint So Unique?
Unlike standard matte or satin paints, metallic finishes contain reflective particles—often mica or finely milled metal—that create a soft shimmer or bold sheen, depending on the application. This gives the surface a dynamic quality that changes with the light, making it appear different throughout the day.

Many metallic paints also feature a subtle two-tone effect, shifting colour slightly depending on the angle of light and viewing position. It’s this visual depth and movement that gives metallic walls their signature “wow” factor.

From Subtle Sheen to Bold Statements
One of the biggest advantages of metallic paint is its range of finishes. Here are a few of the paints we often use, often in a range of colours:

Gimcyn : A metallic paint with an iridescent finish for a soft, shimmery finish.
Marcopolo Luxury : A textured metallic paint from San Marco, a soft, iridescent finish, with a light sandy texture.
Cadoro : A soft, smooth metallic paint that's much more subtle.

Where Metallic Paint Works Best

Dining Rooms : Enhance evening ambiance with a warm metallic gold or copper.
Bedrooms : Create a serene retreat with soft silvers or champagne tones.
Hallways & Entrances : Make a bold first impression with rich, dark metallics or subtle shimmers.
Ceilings : Reflect light and create visual interest, especially when paired with feature lighting.

The Perfect Blend of Modern and Timeless
Metallic paint finishes aren’t just a passing trend—they’re a long-term design choice that blends style with atmosphere. Whether you opt for a subtle shimmer or a more dramatic effect, metallics bring life to flat surfaces and help your space reflect your unique taste.

Ready to try something bold? We specialise in creating stunning metallic paint effects tailored to your space. Get in touch to learn how we can bring these eye-catching finishes to your home with expert care and craftsmanship.