The Relaxing Bold Colours | 6 Accent Colour Palette | Porter’s Paints
When it comes to adding character and personality to your home, accent colours can make all the difference.
Using bold colours doesn’t have to mean overwhelming your space—with the right palette, you can create a calming yet striking atmosphere.
Here are some of my favourite accent colours from Porter’s Paints that work beautifully on large surfaces, entire rooms, or feature walls.
They’re bold enough to make a statement but soothing enough to feel relaxing.
A timeless choice, Burmese Grey is a stunning shade with subtle pink undertones. It strikes a perfect balance between warm and cool tones, making it ideal for creating a cozy and neutral environment.
Where to use: This colour works well in living rooms, dining areas, and bedrooms. It’s especially beautiful when applied to walls, whether as an accent or for the whole room.
Best styles: Burmese Grey pairs beautifully with mid-century, eclectic, traditional, or vintage-style interiors.
Colour pairing: It complements blue, green, grey tones, and light-coloured timber.
Lighting effect:
- Warm lighting: Brings out more of the pink undertones.
- Cool lighting: Enhances the grey tones, creating a more neutral look.
My tip: I would use Burmese Grey in a dark room with cool light to enhance its elegant, neutral vibe.
Wood Duck Grey is a sophisticated shade with cool purple undertones. While it may appear more grey in images, it reveals a beautiful purple tint when applied in real spaces. This earthy tone is richer and deeper than typical greys.
Where to use: Great for bedrooms, transitional areas, and even trims or doors.
Best styles: Works best with traditional, country, or rustic designs.
Colour pairing: Looks stunning alongside grey, white, charcoal, and brown timber.
Lighting effect:
- Warm lighting: Brings out more purple and pink undertones.
- Cool lighting: Appears more grey.
My tip: I would use Wood Duck Grey in a dark room with warm lighting to create a rich, moody atmosphere.
If you’re looking for a bold, moody colour, Mineral is a fantastic charcoal grey with a calming depth. It’s perfect for creating a serene yet dramatic ambiance.
Where to use: Ideal for bedrooms, living and dining areas, joinery, walls, trims, doors, or even an office space.
Best styles: Suits contemporary, mid-century, and Scandinavian interiors.
Colour pairing: Complements warm-toned timber, yellow, beige, and warm whites.
Lighting effect:
- Warm lighting: Adds a slightly brownish or taupe tone.
- Cool lighting: Appears as a crisp, neutral dark grey, sometimes with a hint of blue.
My tip: I would use Mineral in a bright room with cool light to create a clean, sophisticated look.
Aubusson is a muted, warm grey-brown or taupe tone that exudes warmth and coziness. Brown is often overlooked, but it’s incredibly versatile and calming.
Where to use: This colour works well in virtually any space—bedrooms, living and dining areas, transitional spaces, joinery, walls, trims, and doors.
Best styles: Perfect for mid-century, Scandinavian, country, and traditional interiors.
Colour pairing: Pairs wonderfully with yellow-toned timber, yellow, orange, beige, and green.
Lighting effect:
- Warm lighting: Appears more brown.
- Cool lighting: Leans towards a greyish taupe.
My tip: I would use Aubusson in a bright room with warm light to emphasize its cozy, inviting nature.
French Green is a warm grey with olive and taupe undertones. It has a subtle earthy feel without being overly rustic, making it a great choice for a relaxed, natural look.
Where to use: Works well in bedrooms, living and dining areas, joinery, walls, trims, and doors.
Best styles: Complements traditional, vintage, country, and modern designs (but not ultra-contemporary).
Colour pairing: Matches beautifully with earthy tones, warm timber, yellow, pink, orange, grey, and beige.
Lighting effect:
- Warm lighting: Appears more olive green.
- Cool lighting: Leans towards grey-green with a slight purple undertone.
My tip: I would use French Green in a dark room with warm lighting to enhance its earthy warmth.
Blue Spruce is a unique colour that shifts between blue and green depending on the time of day and lighting. Its grey undertone gives it a soft, comfortable look, perfect for adding depth without overwhelming a space.
Where to use: Suitable for bedrooms, living and dining rooms, kitchens, joinery, and walls.
Best styles: Works with traditional, vintage, country, and modern interiors.
Colour pairing: Pairs well with both pale and brown timber, pink, green, and orange.
Lighting effect:
- Warm lighting: Appears more green.
- Cool lighting: Shifts towards blue-grey.
My tip: I would use Blue Spruce in a room that has both cool and warm light to enjoy the dynamic colour changes throughout the day, such as a space with cool natural light during the day and warm artificial light in the evening.
Choosing an accent colour is all about personal style and the mood you want to create. Remember, colours can look completely different depending on the lighting and the room they’re used in. Always get a sample pot and test it in your space before committing to a full paint job. Each colour mentioned here has its unique charm, and there’s no right or wrong way to use them—it’s all about what feels right for you.
If you’re unsure, start small with a feature wall or use these colours on trims and doors to introduce bold accents subtly.
