This season it is all about semi-precious stones and their glistening shades on the high-street. There are plenty of beautiful coral and lagoon blues on offer but one of my favourite shades has to be teal. Teal is a medium blue-green colour that is named after the Common Teal, a member of the duck family, whose eyes are surrounded by the colour.

Teal is a beautiful rich shade that can add a touch of glamour to any room in your home. I spoke about using it in one of one of the Colour Influences for 2011, Amethyst earlier on in the year. The more I see the colour the more I fall in love with its enchanting characteristics and beautiful contrast which is why I’ve decided to dedicate a blog to its use in design.

Crown’s own Teal shade is a truly spellbinding addition to the product range. This shade will be the focus of the post but I think it is important to mention some of the contrasting shades in Crown’s Classic Collection that will sit perfectly with the colour. Other jewel shades such as Modern Chic, Modern Living and Modern Radiance all provide the perfect accompaniment to Teal's exotic hue.

This design scheme will sit perfectly in a living room as these tones add a new dimension of colour to the area. Use Crown’s Teal on all four of the walls if you have a smaller room as this will create the illusion of space to the human eye. If you have a larger space you can choose to feature the colour on one or two walls along with another jewel tone. Keep the trim simple with an off-white shade such as Classic Neutral and use the same precious stone shades mentioned above as a guide for the accessories in the room.

By choosing to use teal in your home you are committing to a strong design so don’t be afraid of using colour in the room. Try using furniture in the shades discussed to add an extra element to the design. Car boot sales or second hand shops tend to have budget friendly pieces and accessories that can be used throughout your room to bring that extra spark to a space.

The other place that I love to use teal in is in the bedroom. A colour combination I love for this space is chocolate brown and teal, a darker shade of brown will work to bring out the vivid tones in the teal shade. Crown colours to consider include Classic Brown, Coffee Shop and Chocolate Brown. These fuller browns will ensure that your room remains a luxurious space to indulge in after a long day.

This combination of colours will work well if you have dark wood furniture in the room. If your wood is naturally lighter, you can use a wood stain to create an impact. Sadolin Interior Stain in English Oak is easy to use and a cheaper alternative to replacing your bedroom furniture altogether.

Lighting is an important consideration when painting a bedroom as you will want to create a relaxing environment to unwind in. Using darker colours such as teal and brown will require you to keep light and its sources top of mind while decorating. You don’t have to depend on the central light fixture to distribute light, try using multi level lamps and wall fixtures to allow you full control over the amount of light in the room.

Happy decorating,

Neville