The other day myself and Carina were drooling over a bathroom interior that had 3 different shades of charcoal in it.  Dark on dark on dark!

Layering the same shade in an interior has been earmarked as a big trend for 2018 (I wrote about it here).  Basically one colour is used in various tones and materials.    The result is a tone-on-tone look that creates a very calming, harmonious and sophisticated interior.

 

THIS IS THE PIC THAT SPARKED THE CONVERSATION ABOUT TONAL INTERIORS – SEE THE 3 DIFFERENT CHARCOAL TONES…

The trick to make a tonal scheme interesting  when you are using one colour is to use different textures and pattern, otherwise you could run the risk of creating something a bit boring and bland.   So to achieve the interest you could do the following:  the curtains might be sheer or linen, the rug textured or patterned, the floor marbled or timber, the cushions might have a self-pattern, the accessories might have lustre and the artworks. even tho monochromatic will have a pattern.

You can create an interesting twist on a tonal scheme by using what are called ‘related’ colours. This is easier to understand when you’re talking about bolder colours, for example, red is close to rust is close to terracotta. But it can work well with neutral colours too. So instead of strictly using all variants of one colour, you might take a step sideways into one that’s close by but slightly different…..   The below image shows an interior with various aquamarine tones and some additions of green, which is a related colour.

A tonal interior is definitely Minimalist in approach, so not for everyone.   As someone who used to love a pop of contrasting colour and pattern in an interior, I must confess that I am loving this look and the calming feeling it creates. (Maybe I am craving calm as my home studio is like a circus most days! ;))

 

Here are some more pics: