A Pop of Colour

A Pop of Colour by Geraldine James, published by Cico Books (£23.00) Photography ©Cico Books

Who wouldn’t want to go glamping in this decommissioned vintage bus? The most wonderful space has been achieved using bright glossy yellow paint and toning vintage wallpaper. It’s unexpected and really romantic.

Acolour pop using tones of the same palette will help you achieve a calm and relaxing modern look.

Simply put, a tonal, or tone-on- tone, colour scheme means you pick one main colour, then layer in as many different tints and tones of that colour as you desire. In a way, it is less challenging than adding contrasting pops of colour and the advantage is that the overall look and feel of a tonal interior is calm and relaxing.

Tonal schemes look sophisticated and fuss-free. If you stick with a monochrome look, you can layer up black or white with all the grey tones in between. The same principle applies to any colour that you choose. If you decide upon blue for your main or foundation colour, you can use varying tones of that colour, from navy to powder blue, on the floor, ceiling, soft furnishings or accessories. Get hold of a paint colour chart and inspect it in pure daylight so that you can see all the different tints (the colour mixed with white) and shades (the colour mixed with black) of a particular hue.

Having said that, in this chapter you will see examples of tonal decorating that don’t only involve paint colours. The different layers of colour in an interior may come from wood, art, soft furnishings and more. The important thing is that all these tones sit harmoniously together.

So how do you begin? The first step is to look for colour inspiration for your room. It may already be staring you in the face. Your main colour can be a strong one, as it plays a central role – I’ve based an entire scheme around just one boldly coloured throw. Do you love a particular rug, painting, bedspread or even decorative item? That could end up being your starting point for a whole room. Be open-minded and you can have great fun collecting bits and pieces or even painting or spray-painting objects to work within your scheme.

Adding a pop of tonal colour doesn’t have to be about a very polished or expensive interior – my ethos is all about achieving great results without serious financial outlay or having a team of experts on hand to advise. Instead, it requires that you understand the principle of tonal decorating, then implement it in a way that suits your particular home and budget. So, for example, if you already have an old blue sofa, you might think about painting the wall behind a darker shade of blue, adding a throw or a couple of cushions/throw pillows that are slightly paler and arranging a couple of similar-coloured vases or books or any other objects on a shelf nearby. In this way, you are slowly but surely building up a tonal scheme. And it’s this layering of similar shades that brings vibrancy and interest to any interior, especially if you’re mixing different textures such as plush velvet and chalky paint.

Tonal schemes work in any room, as long as you pick a main colour that suits the mood you wish to create. For a bedroom, you might opt for a duvet cover in a rich berry shade with an undersheet and pillowcases in softer shades of rose pink and a deep burgundy rug on the floor.

Another way of selecting a slightly wider yet nevertheless harmonious palette is to choose colours that sit near each other on the colour wheel – pale green, blue and grey, for example, or warm pink, red and orange. You’ll still achieve a tonal effect, but it will have slightly more vibrancy.

I love the vintage vibe here. Fresh pastel greens create a gentle retro feel that is enhanced by the bunting, the painted rustic chair and the fabric panels in the door. This scheme would be great for a cottage or small house with original features. unifying very different features like the elaborate architectural mouldings and a modern wall cabinet.

The original 19th-century ceramic stove in this Scandinavian apartment provided inspiration for a tonal scheme based around warm putty shades. Warm yellow works brilliantly with unpainted wood and washed linen textiles in tonal shades.

Tonal shades from cream to peach to buttercup come together to create a sunny, glowing kitchen. You can see how a tonal palette is good for unifying very different features like the elaborate architectural mouldings and a modern wall cabinet.

Like most charities, the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary was planning to reopen to the public in April 2021. Lockdown has been tough for animal charities, and they have been hit by a triple whammy! Firstly animals still need looking after and feeding even in a pandemic, so their costs have remained high. (Furlough has been a wonderful, national scheme but you can’t furlough people who are looking after the welfare of animals). Secondly, there have been no visitors, so they have been living on their reserves - something which can only go on for so long. Finally, more animals are looking for homes in a pandemic as people struggle to afford the bills for their furry friends.

All of these things have applied to the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary. They have taken in over 20 donkeys in the last 4 months alone, all of whom were deserving cases who needed care, welfare and shelter. Those donkeys have been looked after by staff who have had to work in separate social bubbles to keep themselves safe and in these difficult times. prevent an outbreak of Covid happening on the site - it would have been devastating for them if any of their staff had been told to isolate during this period.

And through it all they have had to raise money through adoptions, donations, sales from their online shop, and sometimes through direct appeals when donkeys have needed extra care. Their French donkey Junon needed a specialist hoof operation and Murphy, an old long term resident of the sanctuary, needed a stomach operation on the mainland-both of which were funded by kind donations from supporters.

Everybody who has been hit by Covid deserves support. In the case of animals however they have only ourselves to represent them

If you would like to help them continue to help donkeys in need, please visit the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary website www.isleofwightdonkeysanctuary.org

DENTAL CARE an important part of any cats health

Keeping healthy and happy is important to all of us especially in these difficult and unprecedented times. The same applies to our cherished pets.

At Catastrophes Cat Rescue sanctuary they aim to provide a safe haven for unwanted and stray cats as well as those needing to be rehomed due to a change in an owners circumstances. The first port of call for a cat arriving at their sanctuary is a thorough veterinary check. Their tick list include: Spaying and neutering, microchipping, treating any wounds injuries or ailments, the diagnosing and treatment of any infections and vaccinations.

Last but certainly not least are dental checks which are of prime importance.

Looking back, it used to be virtually unheard of for pets to have dentals! Now, with the advancement of veterinary knowledge we can do so much more to help our pets to have a good quality of life.

With mouth and teeth checks you really do need the expert eye of your vet. A good time to have a health and dental check is when you see your vet for annual vaccinations. However, a vet check is always advisable at any time if you have any concerns about your pet.

Dental specialist Gerhard Putter emphasises that good dental care is paramount to your pets health and happiness – a sore mouth and bad teeth can affect the health of your animal in many ways.

Having a dental can be life changing for a cat. As we all know, a toothache will send us running to a dentist in spite of it being our least favourite thing to do!

Sizzler was showing signs of mouth pain sometimes crying out sharply when he ate and backing away from his food bowl as if it was attacking him. Following his dental Sizzler is now Sizzler again, enjoying his food, playing ball and chasing his tail!

Of course, all of this care costs money but for an animal’s health and wellbeing it is an investment for the future. Without the wonderful support of people who care they could not continue to provide their vital lifeline to cats in need.

Catastrophes Cat Rescue is currently raising funds to build a veterinary treatment and recovery facility, this would enable their vets to visit the sanctuary to carry out dental and health checks and to monitor the progress of cats in their care to help them lead a happy life.

Help them to be their Someone.

For further information contact Liz Varney, CEO Catastrophes Cat Rescue Tel : 07912 113392 Email : lizzie@catastrophescats.org