Photography: Bed Threads
For a long time, white interiors have been the pinnacle of style. While an all-white interior is the perfect base on which to build your interior style, it’s also hard to keep clean and can come across feeling ‘cold’ or ‘soulless’.
Luckily, rich, saturated colours are back in fashion. Warm tones, jewel colours and other equally bold colour palettes are now taking centre stage. One particular colour that seems to have gained popularity on social media is terracotta.
Terracotta is a rich, warm and tactile orange colour that is surprisingly versatile. It works well in homes with bohemian, coastal or even minimal style. It even works outdoors in the form of classic, terracotta pots (bonus points if you can source vintage pots!)
Take inspiration from these beautiful homes, and heed our decorating advice for working with this eye-catching hue.
1. Warm accents
In this award-winning Gold Coast home, a predominantly white colour palette has been punctuated with soft furnishings in shades of terracotta. Velvet cushions in a deep shade of terracotta have been paired with peach linen sheets to a cosy and calming effect.
2. Contrasting colours
To give a room a sophisticated ‘clash’ of colour that doesn’t feel overwhelming, pair terracotta accents with navy. It will imbue a white room with plenty of energy while still remaining quite relaxing and neutral. Take style notes from this farmhouse build in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Cushions and bedding from Adairs.
3. Bohemian dreaming
Terracotta and bohemian interior style go hand-in-hand. Just take the splash of rich colour in the bedroom of this white-on-white coastal home. The linen, which is a combination of Ochre and Sandalwood from I Love Linen, really makes the custom rendered concrete platform the hero of the room.
4. Warm and cool
Coastal homes are often decorated according to a cool colour palette (blues, greys and vibrant whites) which can leave a room feeling cold and uninviting. One way to add instant warmth is by incorporating touches of terracotta, stone and timber. At this beach house on the Sunshine Coast, a vintage terracotta pot makes the front entrance feel instantly welcoming (as does the family dog, Bella).
5. Just a touch
Terracotta is a timeless, neutral shade that will never date. But we’ve definitely moved on from the ‘ultra-trendy’ iteration of terracotta that was popular a couple of years ago where entire rooms were decorated from floor-to-ceiling in the shade. Take style cues from the outdoor kitchen of a new build in Adelaide where a single terracotta pot brings all of the elements of the space together.
6. French provincial courtyard
A French provincial garden or courtyard is not complete without terracotta pots. At this grand hamptons cottage in the NSW Southern Highlands, a large terracotta pot paired with a cluster of smaller pots adds instant warmth to the servery window. The owners sourced the bar stools from eBay.
Style tips
- Terracotta plays well with muted shades of white, cream, pink, red, mustard, green and cerulean blue.
- Pair terracotta-toned textiles with timber furniture or woven homewares, such as woven rugs, baskets, bowls and timber side tables.
- Green, leafy indoor foliage plants look a million bucks in a terracotta pot.
- When it comes to terracotta-coloured bedding, furniture, homewares and tiles, try to maximise texture.
Try these terracotta homewares:
01
‘Bowie’ textured velvet modular piece, Life Interiors
$985.50 (was $1095)
Collapse into clay-coloured comfort in this beautifully curved accent chair. Pair with matching pieces or punctuate a neutral space with its warming, velvet luxury.
02
Formantics Retro Vessel 1 with stopper, Bed Threads
$157.50 (was $225)
With a nod to the ancient art of pottery, this handmade curvaceous clay vessel forms a statement artwork for your side table or mantlepiece.
03
Tallow Australian cotton picnic bag in Italian Clay, Country Road
$149
This cool insulated picnic tote presents stylish, take-anywhere terracotta in spades. The striped cotton exterior has handy pockets for bottles or bits and pieces.
04
Palma terracotta plant stand, Adairs
$10
Terracotta pots are the perfect pairing for indoor plants and this minimal stand forms a nice combination with the classic terracotta for a contemporary, slimline silhouette.
05
100% French flax linen scalloped European pillowcases in Terracotta & Rust, Bed Threads
$140 set/2
Place this pair of Euros behind your standard bed pillows for a fun way to bring the wavy curves of right now into the bedroom.
06
Female Form IV art print in terracotta 70x100cm, The Iconic
$129.95
A simple line drawing to form part of a gallery display or add interest to a bathroom or hallway.
07
‘Ohio’ Aztec rug runner in terracotta, Adairs
$90.09
Inspired by Aztec design, this runner will set a scene of warm, textured tones in your front entrance or protect the floorboards beneath your home office chair.
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