When it comes to interiors, it’s easy to go for the tried and tested neutral scheme. But using colour is the key to unlocking your space – creating bold, exciting and quirky looks that can have just as much longevity as a more traditional palette. And that is where our bold and colourful rugs and wallpaper come in!

Whether you want to be a little more brave, need to break out of your neutrals rut or just need a few tips and tricks to get started, here are three great ways to inject colour into your home this season.

keep it complementary

Complementary colours sit opposite each other on the colour wheel. Green and red, orange and blue and violet and yellow – as seen on our Portobello wallpaper – draw the eye and bring a contemporary edge to your space. The rule of thumb for this look is to keep it simple, so just work with the two shades and play them off against each other. Raise the style stakes even further by adding texture – we’ve chosen some striking pebble wall art and a weave-effect cushion.  

Portobello wallpaper in Earth styled with: Sofa from made.com, cushion from Debehnams, lamp from Original BTC and mirror from 4Living.

set the tone

Choosing a single colour can be really effective when you hint at the different hues, creating a bright, bold look. Our Star Coral wallpaper with its intense teal tones, pairs beautifully with other blue shades – from the electric blue of this lamp, to the baby blue of this shabby chic console table and the soft grey blue of this chair, and even into navy territory with this textured pouf. Of course, if you find choosing one colour a bit monotone, you can always enrich the look with some earthy tones or flashes of metallics. 

Star Coral wallpaper in Ocean styled with: pouf from Wayfair, chair from made.com, lamp from Dunelm and console table from Wayfair

go back to black

One of the best interiors tricks in the book is using black – or in our case dark brown – to create contrast and help bring other colours to life. Our Flamboyant Pods rug brings together earthy shades, so we’ve accessorised with rich bronze, punchy yellow and light neutrals – all with that striking black element. While we’ve gone for some pieces with a frame, like the clock and cabinet, you can take it a little more literally and use mirrors, picture frames and shelving to great effect.  

Flamboyant Pods rug in Chocolate styled with: cabinet from made.com, clock from GorgeousGD on Etsy, chair from Design Retro and light from Nest.co.uk  

For more interiors tips the season, why not check out our other decorating tips articles – 4 Ways to Style our Aerial Wallpaper and Autumn Interior Trends.

Now that our Lost in Space rug collection has launched, we thought we would give you some more detailed behind-the-scenes insight into the six new designs and how they came about.

Photographs of nature as such a big part of what inspires our designs, and the beautiful space images that informed these rugs were sourced from the 2015 Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Greenwich Observatory, as well as the recent Otherworlds exhibition at the Natural History Museum. We are truly lucky to have such a wealth of inspiring exhibitions on our doorstep in London.

aurora

Our Aurora rug is available in four bold & beautiful colourways and presents a geometric take on the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. The beautiful photograph that inspired it was taken by Kolbein Svensson for the 2015 Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition.  

star cluster

This rug which depicts stars in the night sky would make a fabulous centrepiece in a 50s-inspired sitting room or bedroom. Inspired by a photograph of the Messier 13 globular cluster taken by Elina Lahthi for the 2015 Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition.  

saturn's rings

A photograph of Saturn’s graceful rings, with its ‘Mimas’ moon orbiting in the foreground was an excellent subject for an elegant striped rug with a twist. This satellite image is from Otherworlds at the Natural History Museum.  

glow

This unusual rug design was inspired by the soft, eerie glow of light radiating from behind a planet or other celestial body, as can sometimes be seen during an eclipse. This satellite image is from Otherworlds at the Natural History Museum.  

orbit

Inspired by moons orbiting a planet, this rug is simple yet striking. The 3-dimensionality of the photo gives way to the flatness and simplicity of the resulting rug design, which gives it a definite Scandi feel. This satellite image is from Otherworlds at the Natural History Museum.  

shooting star

Inspired by stars streaking across the night sky, this rug creates a dramatic sense of movement in a space. This rug design was inspired by a photo of the Lovejoy comet taken by George Martin for the 2015 Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition.  

Remember, our 15% off all rugs offer is valid until tomorrow, so now is the perfect time to take the plunge and add one of these striking new designs to your interior.

The London Design Festival is the highlight of the interiors calendar – and with the event back in the capital this week, we’re celebrating its diverse collection of installations, exhibitions and ideas with 15% off our rug collections.

From looking at nature in design to showcasing both the design idols and breakthrough brands in our field, there’s plenty to do, see and be excited by this design season. Here’s what makes our shortlist.  

paper flowers

Quill store, Islington, Mon-Sun

We love this idea - a ‘living’ installation which grows in size and beauty throughout the festival. The idea is that attendees create and contribute their own flower to the installation, showcased at stationery store Quill in a collaboration with UK paper artist A Petal Unfolds. If you miss the event, don’t worry – the artist holds monthly workshops in the store (or you could always try a calligraphy class).

london design fair - dana haim & ceadogan

London Design Fair, Shoreditch, daily

With rug design close to our hearts, it's no secret that we're excited for these exhibitors at the London Design Fair. Dana Haim's work is the result of exciting collaborations with artisans she meets on her travels, and we love her eclectic, geometric textiles. Ceadogán pairs founder Denis Kenny's craftsmanship with Irish design, including Andrew Ludick's nature-inspired pieces, Manie Jellett's graphic designs and Patricia Murphy's abstract works.

Left: Dana Haim rug, Right: Ceadogán rug

terrarium workshop

Graham & Green store, Bayswater, Monday, 2pm

Family-run interiors business Graham & Green are housing a London Terrariums workshop for one afternoon only. From simple jars to geometric, glass-and-copper creations, these self-contained eco-systems reconnect you to nature by bringing a slice of the outside to your interior – and they happen to be pretty stylish, too. We also love London Terraiums' eco credentials, as their prototype was crafted entirely from foraged materials – including the tools to make it.

power of pattern

Islington Design District, Mon-Sun

Playing on the ideas of pattern, scale and colour, the Power of Pattern exhibition shows how space can be brought to life through furniture, fabrics and wallpaper. With an emphasis on sustainable sources, responsible production and, of course, affordability, the pieces on show illustrate fine craftsmanship and ensure longevity. Furniture is the work of AIF London and the wallpapers are all Lewis & Wood creations.

emerging brands

100% Design, Olympia, London, Weds-Sat

It’s great to see emerging brands that tap into our love of upcycling, nature and beautiful textiles. This year, we’re looking forward to Serpent Collective’s custom-made, luxury pieces, crafted from upcycled and new materials; Mairi Helena’s surface pattern print works, which draw on her own photographs of the rugged Scottish landscape; and Bristol-based Addicted To Patterns, which creates screen printed wallpapers and textiles. Full details can be found on the 100% Design website.

Left: Mairi Helena, Right: Addicted to Patterns  

We were proud to be part of the London Design Festival last year and look forward to bringing our colourful rugs and wallpaper to next year’s event. Stay tuned – and in the meantime, celebrate this year's festival by taking advantage of our London Design Festival special offer - 15% Off all rugs until the end of September.

Creating a trend-led space is a simple as styling a few well-chosen pieces – whether it’s for an entire interior makeover or a subtle hint at the latest looks. Now that the nights are drawing closer and colder weather is setting in, it’s the ideal time to take a look at autumn interior trends to get your home chic and seasonal.

woodland cabin

The perfect step towards winter living? A cosy, comforting cabin tucked away in the forest. A warming palette of earthy tones, thick, layered textures and rustic touches make this trend come alive and invite you to come closer to nature.

Capture the trend...
By taking a style cue from natural materials, like this statement leather chair, graphic cotton throw or rope ottoman. Add to the theme with simplistic, functional accessories, like a pair of bookends or a wicker storage basket, and ground the look with a colourful rug - our Harvest rug is ideal. Harvest rug in Earth styled with: Leather chair from John Lewis, bookends from Dunelm Mill, footstool from IKEA and throw from Debenhams

frosted morning

Muted, chalky and ethereal are the three buzzwords of this wintry look, where soft, stone-grey hues become the neutrals of the season and soft pinks and barely-there blues are Pantone’s current colour picks.

Capture the trend...
By focusing on decadent fabrics. Our Shatter wallpaper in Frost sets the perfect backdrop to an indulgent interior where rich, faux-velvet upholstery pairs with sheer, gauzy fabrics. Up the ante with glimmers of metallics and jewel tones, especially on lighting, or tone it down with shabby chic, distressed furniture. Shatter wallpaper in Frost styled with: bed from Next, curtains from Editex on Amazon, bedside table from Made.com and lamp from Lampworks

artisanal delight

The artisanal look relies on putting together original, handcrafted works with a story or history to them. Pieces can be anything and everything – from hammered metal or hand-woven items representing centuries of know-how, to Oriental painted furniture or Mediterranean ceramics that capture a sense of place or time.

Capture the trend...
By taking inspiration from vintage market forays, as well as travels around the globe. Look for the maker’s mark and limited edition pieces to guarantee authenticity and create that sought-after, one-of-a-kind feel. Our Star Coral wallpaper is the perfect place to start.

Star Coral wallpaper in Spring Green styled with: light from Notonthehighstreet, cabinet from Golden Lotus Antiques, cactus print from Notonthehighstreet and basket from Etsy.

Which autumn interior trend will you try?

We are really excited to share our new ‘Lost in Space’ rug collection with you in a few weeks, so we thought we would give you a sneak peek at how it is coming along below...  

Rough sketches of all new designs  

'Aurora' rug in progress - inspired by the northern lights  

'Star Cluster' rug in progress  

'Saturn's Rings' rug in progress (left) and all colourways in progress (right) 

Building on the success of our geometric 'Aerial' rug and wallpaper collection, 'Lost in Space' is inspired by the simple geometric forms of stars, planets and other celestial bodies. These stylized, flat designs have a definite retro feel to them as they are reminiscent of the space-inspired designs that were prevalent throughout the 1960s and 70s. The versatile nature of these geometric designs also means that they can be easily adapted to suit any colour scheme using our bespoke rug design service.

The full rug collection will be available on our website in the next few weeks, and additional wall art canvas pieces (a first for Interiors by Element) will also be debuting in the new year - watch this space!

In the meantime you can view all Interiors by Element rugs on our website or follow Interiors by Element on Twitter for further updates on this collection and other exciting news. You can also see the inspiration behind the collection on our Pinterest.