The Winter Paint Box

As designers we seek inspiration from the world around us and living in beautiful North Norfolk provides a continual source of naturally beguiling vistas and vignettes. The muted palette of winter, with its ethereal qualities that shift and shimmer in the low light, inspire neutral hues for interior colour schemes. Embracing the gamut of grey tones revealed on misty mornings, or the tints of whites and pale greens where the frost twinkles on the garden or noticing the gentle warmth of colours radiating where the rising sun melts the frozen earth, can bring a new dimension to the season that invigorates and inspires. This blog post is about harnessing the winter paint box to generate fresh painting ideas, whilst hibernating from the winter chill.

At Utopia, we believe in responding to the seasons in our lives and in our work. So, it seemed the right time to discuss how winter is actually a really good time to be creative and nurture new ideas. Winter delivers its own special paint box for contemplation and selection and harnessing these natural hues is a time-served formula that can easily work if you want to achieve understated rooms with a timeless quality. However, so that your rooms are not bland, which is also easy trap to fall in to, we plan to share some tips with you. These are not rules, just helpful guidelines based on our research and experience.

Working with neutral colours is always popular because;

• They are easy to blend and balance
• The restrained palette is easy on the eye
• They form a calm backdrop to most furnishings and decorative accessories
• They create harmonious interiors
• They form a wonderful foil for both new and old furniture
• They deliver airy and relaxing rooms

Aiming for pale and interesting is a good place to start.

Why sample neutral paints?

There is a huge range of neutral paints in the market place with varying prices and qualities. We recommend choosing the best paint you can afford and then purchasing sample pots – this adds to the expense but it is well worth it as it enables you to buy with confidence. Most quality paint manufacturers offer good advice about choosing and using their neutral paint box, so it is always worth researching their ideas.

The golden rule is always to sample, sample, sample and live with the colours in different lighting conditions. Yes, we said rule.

Let there be light

Light is the key factor to consider when choosing any colour.

Natural and artificial light are both important. Whatever light sources you have or plan for a room, then make sure you gauge the colours with both. The easiest way to do this, and to not end up with patchwork walls, is to paint sheets of thick paper or card. Temporarily attach the sheets around the room (we use blutak) then live with the colours until you have made a decision. Move the sample sheets around making sure you try the dark corners and the light window reveals - that way you can judge the colour accurately in different light conditions. It still astonishes us the power of light over what appears the most simple colour. If the colours are not quite right, don’t compromise, try some different ones – throw in a curve ball and see if magic happens. It’s easy to cut out this stage, and we confess to having done this a few times mainly because of enthusiasm to get ‘the room done’, but it has been an expensive regret. Some companies will refund or swap unopened paint, but if you are like us you will have launched into painting and wasted a five litre can straightaway.

The neutral spectrum

Even a neutral palette has a spectrum of tints and tones to consider. The following is meant as a brief guide to understanding that a successful harmonising scheme is more likely if the selections are kept within the following subdivisions.

Warm neutral colours

Imagine a marsh where the reeds sway in the breeze– can you see a muted colours emerging? Neutrals with a warm tint are great for getting a degree of softness in a room without shouting colour. This group usually age well and compliment the warm tones of wooden furniture.

Traditional neutral colours

Picture the mellow greens of the crops under the jeweling of morning frost or the low sun casting warm shadows over sand dunes on a beach. Traditional neutrals usually contain a hint of yellow, even green in their make up and have a long history in interiors. Generally, these are easy to use, mix and match. They deliver a sophisticated scheme that is easy to accessorise.

Cool greys

The steely ethereal blues of wintery skies and seas echo the cool contemporary palette. Cool greys have blue undertones and create a more urban feel in a room. Favoured by those who desire a more industrial vibe it is a group that offers a less stark scheme than pure white. This spectrum is particularly enhanced with metal accessories and furniture.

White out

If you are attracted to an all white room, think fresh snow scene, then sample even this simple option, but make the swatches larger, so that it is easier to imagine what the room will feel like. Managing the light is paramount in a white room to maximise effectiveness and mood, and to avoid that classic cold and clinical result. Experiment. Also consider the practicalities of an all white room. If you have pets and/or children you may wish to defer this scheme until later, as nothing looks more uninviting than a grubby white room.

Drawing Conclusions

To re-tread footprints on a favourite walk, where sky and sea and earth meet and buffer, is a treat even on a windy, grey January day. The North Norfolk coastline is a sanctuary to wildlife and people – an ethereal interface that inspires and nurtures.

We surrender to the elements - embrace the gash of wind and rain and hear the roar of tide and turn.

See 37 seconds of a panoramic video of the windy walk at Cley.

What inspires artists to capture something - a stimulus that sparks an exhilarating ignition to respond. The stark winter landscapes of North Norfolk, with their strong graphic qualities, contrive a creative approach where the editing out of features is as much the artistic remit as what one includes. This challenging duality delivers sparse vistas with intricate detailing in the forms.

The Land Song Collection has emerged organically from the seasonal study of the East Anglian countryside and coastline. It aims to reflect the quiet song where a rhythmic beauty is broken by staccato: tree, farm and village. The drawings are direct responses to actual sites that can be visited through the name or grid references supplied with each print. The Collection will continue to evolve and expand as the sky’s envelope opens.

Cley Windmill

The ghost of the mill sails turn to the rhythm of the historic wind.

Burnham Norton

In Burnham Norton, marshes wrap and ooze watery ribbons of grey sky. Reeds form natural weather vanes swaying in the breeze whilst beyond the edge, where watery and aerial worlds collide: creatures dance in the interface embracing the fluctuating borders of their habitat.

It's been another very busy year at Utopia with many new exciting collections and creations launched.

The Arboretum Collection has particularly been appreciated by our clients, so we aim to expand this in 2017. Jac Scott plans to grab her sketch book and camera soon and head out to find some fresh locations.

The burgeoning Raw Collection will further develop in 2017 with many nautical inspired lights joining the elemental nature of the range.

COMMISSIONS AND CLIENTS

It has always been our intention to create a gallery of inspiration with concepts that spark and stimulate fresh ideas for client commissions. So it has been gratifying that Utopia's list of private, retail and commercial clients has hugely grown in the two years we have been open at Creake Abbey in North Creake. Commissions have been interesting and diverse from transforming a clarinet into a lamp to framing a saw.  We also continue to work with selected interior designers and to supply Osprey London with our bespoke table lamps for their flagship Regent Street, London store and St. Albans lifestyle shop.

THANK YOU MINI SALE WITH BIG DISCOUNTS

As we prepare to hibernate for two weeks we would like to say thank you to all who have supported Utopia in 2016 by offering a mini 4 day sale on selected products.

20% off all shades - to attract the offer apply a special code at the checkout.

Utopia wishes everyone a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.

Not Thinking about Christmas until December is pretty much Utopia's approach to the festive season, but then it’s as if the champagne has popped as an explosion of ideas and thrills pours out. Part of the outpouring is  the creation of a wonderful eclectic mix of unique artefacts and art for presents.

Finding just the right gift is not easy, but we have learnt that if you source something unique for that person, they will always feel appreciated and inspired by your thoughtfulness.

So, welcome to our 2016 Christmas Gift Collection aimed at helping you find the right Christmas present.

There are many more exciting ideas in our Unexpected Gallery in North Norfolk at Creake Abbey and on our website.

For those who want to spend less than £50, and give something unique, how about these ideas?

Wonderland Collection: Framed Vintage Sauce Spoon £35

Wonderland Collection: Framed Antique Silver Plated Salt Spoon £45

A3 Fine Art Signed & Catalogued, Limited Edition of 50 Print £48

For those who want to spend £50 to £100, and give something rather special, how about these ideas?

Wonderland Collection: Framed 'Utopiaised' Vintage Wooden Shoe Trees £90

 Mounted & Framed A3 Arboretum Fine Art Print £70

Many different classic British trees & 9 earth colour options

Wonderland Collection: Framed Art Deco Teacup & Saucer £70

For those who want to spend over £100, and give something impressive, how about these ideas?

Silver Service Collection: Grace 81 Antique Silver Plated Samovar Lamp £300

Silver Service Collection: Crystal Antique Decanter Lamp £150

Wonderland Collection: Framed Collection of Antique Pewter Wine Tasting Cups from France (4) £150

If you haven't spotted exactly the right gift then please get in touch - happy present hunting

Utopia are delighted to announce that we have been selected by one of our favourite magazines, Homes & Antiques, as one of their best 50 secret shops in the UK! 

The news was a wonderful surprise.

Highlighted as a great place to find unusual gifts for nature lovers the magazine says "Nature is a strong theme - the starkly beautiful prints of Jac's monochrome drawings of special local trees particularly caught our eye."

We love this publication because it not only informs us about antiques and national events in an engaging style but it is also beautifully produced.

Find us at no.38 in the EAST section in the December 2016 issue.

Borrowing the title from Roald Dahl’s collection of amusing and twisted stories may seem a liberty, but at The Unexpected Gallery we find that visitors to the gallery do tell us such wonderful tales. It may be the unusual gallery atmosphere where unexpected discoveries are made – antique teapot lamps juxtaposed with bird skulls in test tubes or 1930s polished copper fire extinguisher lamps dressed with luxurious gold vellum lampshades - that generates interesting revelations.

People bring us all manner of nostalgic mementos to bring back to life in dynamic ways. One client had tr
easured his boyhood marble trophies into retirement and presented them in a bag one day to us. The outcome was a wall-based display where marble stripes were invisibly suspended in clear resin within a protective frame. The piece now hangs proudly above the client’s front door.

Another day, a dusty box of 1950s Disney plastic Christmas tree lights appeared, the owner explaining that her father had made them in a factory and that she had fond memories of them from her childhood. She now wanted to remember them, and her father everyday, so could we design a light with them. The design needed to utilise the qualities of  LEDs, so not to risk the brittle nature of the old plastic shades. The  result was a giant lamp where the old shades formed a ‘fringe’ around the base of a reconstructed vintage standard lamp and shade.

And then there’s serendipity. A couple of weeks ago we were delighted to find an antique copper and brass bugle hiding in a dusty corner in an antiques centre. The next day a client visited the gallery and was admiring a table lamp we had just created from a 1880s clarinet – “we’re doing a bugle next” we said. With disbelief she exclaimed that her daughter was the bugle player for the Kings Troop and what a wonderful Christmas present that would be. Lucky girl.

At Utopia we relish studying the great outdoors and thinking of new ways we can bring that inspiration inside in a stylish and timeless way that will make our creations truly coveted. So we are delighted at the response to the Arboretum Collection of fine art prints of Jac Scott’s original black and white drawings. Many clients have asked for the same beautiful trees and clean, contemporary aesthetic to be designed for a lampshade. As we pride ourselves on listening to our customers, we have launched the Arboretum Lampshade Collection.

Unlike our other shade collections this one is not limited to only 100 shades. Hence, this unlimited edition enables us to still create a handmade shade using the same top quality materials made by British makers, but also to retail it at a lower price.

This lampshade collection captures original black and white drawings of trees by Jac Scott, with a band of colour along the base and black suede trims. The design is printed on parchment, the same material as on our other designs, which creates a semi-translucent effect and dreamy quality when illuminated. The 30cm drum shade features real trees from the estates of three of the best stately homes in Norfolk: Holkham Hall, Felbrigg Hall and Blickling Hall. Discover a pair of cedars and three holm oaks from Holkham, a multi-trunk beech and a sycamore from Felbrigg, and a grand oak from Blickling Hall.

There is a wonderful palette of earth colours for you to select from – all which compliment most interior schemes.

The designs are available in drum and oval shape shades in five configurations.

The Arboretum Lampshade Collection is a complementary range to our Arboretum Collection of fine art prints which feature a unique study of living trees that can be easily found in the Norfolk landscape.

Our lampshade designs are exclusive to Utopia – each designed and beautifully crafted in Britain. It is our innovative designs and attention to detail (we match up the design at the join, so there is no back and front to our shades) that makes Utopia's lampshades so special. 

Please note that the shades are made to order and may take 15-20 working days from receipt of payment.

Lampshade specifications

• Professional manufacturers of over 20 years experience make all our shades in Britain.
• The designs are printed on parchment to create a subtly translucent effect.
• Each shade is finished with a fabric edging ribbon/trim to add a dynamic accent.
• Every design includes the designer’s signature.
• All designs are available in lamp or pendant fitting.
• Each shade carries a bulb wattage recommendation label as standard.
• All lampshades comply with BS EN 60598-2-2:2012 - the British Standard for Luminaries, WEEE and COSSH regulations. All shades have passed the glow-wire test and are made from fire-retardant materials.
• Each shade is wrapped in protective, clear cellophane and includes a trademark Utopia wooden label.

The vision and reality of Utopia has grown significantly in the last two years - we are proud to announce the launch of our new website utopiatheunexpectedgallery.co.uk. (Yes, it is a long URL, but it distinguishes us from the other Utopia’s out there). The new website showcases our products in the same signature ‘utopian style’, but with a more friendly user interface across platforms, plus there is more room for the fine art side of our company which is continually growing.