Breathe life into your library-living room with the Colour of the Year

“It’s a really fun and fresh colour,” says Keshav Murugesh about Curiosity, the Asian Paints Colour of the Year. Every year, ColourNext identifies one hue that captures the essence of the time specific to our country. This year’s colour – Curiosity – inspires us to fearlessly experiment and energises us with optimism.  Keshav, a design publicist who has worked with names like Vivienne Westwood, Villeroy & Boch, and Atelier Ashiesh Shah among others, paired up with Mumbai-based interior and product designer Pooja Bhandary to style this shade in a range of wall treatments and looks.

Read on for their top tips on how to boost a library living room with this exciting hue:

Bring in the stripes - broad, bold and beautiful
“For this treatment, we wanted a fresh, tone-on-tone effect. We paired the colour with a lighter blue from the ColourNext palette called ‘Vitality’. For a more dramatic effect, one can also pair it with a darker shade like ‘Magnum’ that has a tinge of Indigo to it. Not everybody has the luxury of large rooms and high ceilings. The important thing to remember with broad, horizontal stripes is to use it on all your walls to give depth and have a flowing effect. By using the stripes on every wall as opposed to one feature wall, it makes the room look bigger,” says Pooja. 

Add warming elements
“We have used a palette of warm wood and tan leather to work with Curiosity. The tan has a tinge of burnt orange which contrasts beautifully with the fresh blue while the wood finish infuses the space with warmth. We finished the look with a few antiques, glass elements and metallic detailing to elevate the decor and add a little drama,” says Keshav.
 

Play around with soft lighting
Keshav stresses that lighting is a very important factor with this look. “Bright ceiling lights will overwhelm this look and make it look like an ice-cream parlour. Instead, go in for soft, warm lighting like a few floor and table lamps paired with wall sconces. Also, if the room gets flooded with natural light during the day, diffuse it with sheer curtains or choose a room with controlled lighting,” he adds.

Shop from the product list below to create this look for yourself.