The Interior Palette No.1: Rust, Ochre & Teal
A new journal series exploring how a single artwork can guide the atmosphere of a room. This first edition begins with Winhurst Cove by Sam Peacock and a palette of rust, ochre and teal.
Rust, ochre and teal. A palette of warmth, depth and balance for contemporary interiors.
Every interior begins with a palette. Sometimes it is led by fabric or wallpaper, sometimes by a particular piece of furniture. For us, it begins with the artwork.
The Interior Palette is a new journal series exploring how a single painting can shape the atmosphere of a room. Each edition begins with one work, then builds outward through colour, texture and material, bringing together interiors pieces that sit naturally alongside it. Rather than approaching art as a final addition, the series places it at the centre of the scheme, as the starting point from which everything else can unfold.
For the first edition of The Interior Palette, the starting point is Winhurst Cove by Sam Peacock. The painting holds a striking balance of colour. A luminous band of teal moves across the surface above a rich ochre foreground, while rust toned textures gather in the upper half of the composition. The result is a palette that feels both grounded and expansive.
View Winhurst Cove →
From this starting point, the scheme begins to take shape.
The warmth of ochre and rust naturally invites softer, neutral surroundings. A chalky off white such as Pantone Coconut Milk provides a calm architectural base, allowing the colour within the artwork to hold the eye without overwhelming the room.
Botanical pattern introduces movement and softness. The Follywood Foliage fabric by Poodle and Blonde brings a gentle sense of nature into the scheme, its muted green tones subtly echoing the teal within the painting. Imagined here as cushion covers or softly gathered curtains, it adds character, pattern and texture while maintaining a relaxed and liveable feel.
Underfoot, texture plays an equally important role. The Kin Flatweave Rug by A Rum Fellow introduces warmth and structure through its woven surface and subtle rust detailing. Its natural tones help anchor the room while maintaining a sense of ease.
Smaller accents of colour can then be layered throughout the space. A rust velvet cushion from Heal’s draws out the warmer notes of the artwork, while deeper green and teal accents introduce contrast and balance.
What emerges is a palette that feels calm, layered and full of life. Ochre brings warmth, teal introduces freshness and depth, and rust lends a quiet richness that ties the composition together.
Muted neutrals allow the artwork to remain the focal point, creating an interior in which art, pattern and material sit in easy conversation with one another.
This, in many ways, is the understated power of a well chosen painting. When the palette of a room grows naturally from the artwork itself, the result feels considered, cohesive and deeply personal.
View Winhurst Cove by Sam Peacock→
Inspired by this palette? Explore the painting that shaped it, or discover other works with a similar sense of warmth, depth and atmosphere.
Browse works in this palette →
Looking for art to suit a similar scheme? Request tailored suggestions.