Livingetc Style Awards 2021 winners: Decorating category

As chosen by our judges, Livingetc editor Pip McCormac, Livingetc Editorial Director Sarah Spiteri, Livingetc columnists and interior designers Linda Boronkay and Minnie Kemp and fashion stylist legend Lucinda Chambers, these are the best paints, fabrics, wallpapers and trims you'll want to use in your home now.

Paint Colour - winner: Olive by Neptune

Neptune's paint colours are always interesting - their depth of pigment provides some really fascinating hues that catch the light and change beguilingly as shadows move around the room. This soothing green shade, Olive, has a yellow undertone, evoking a heritage feel that will bring an enveloping warmth to both contemporary and traditional interiors. 

The  judges felt it would be the perfect accompaniment to neutral tones as well as bolder accent colours, that you could use it go all out, as in the picture above, or to blend it with pale greys, off whites or perhaps terracotta. “What I love about it is it’s a shade I would wear,” says Lucinda Chambers. “It would also be a great foil for any number of other colours.” 

Shop this paint here.

Paint Colour - Design Icon - winner: Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball

When Farrow and Ball released this colour back in 2014, it helped to change how people viewed the idea of decorating with pink. It's softer than shades that had come before it, more liveable. Setting Plaster is classic neutral that can be used on any interior or exterior surface. This timeless shade was named after the pinkish walls in newly plastered houses and will create a mellow, calming and feel-good space thanks to the inclusion of yellow pigment. It also becomes a wonderful backdrop to antique furniture, and also works well in a more contemporary home. “I never wanted to decorate with pink until I saw how grown up this was” says Pip McCormac. 

Shop this paint here.

Paint Collection - winner: True Matt by Zoffany

Available in 156 sophisticated shades, Zoffany True Matt is a water-based emulsion that’s environmentally friendly with an ultra-matt finish. The intense pigments provide an incredible depth of colour as well as a durable, high performance finish - it's ideal for high traffic areas such as hallways where scuff marks can become an issue. 

“The combination of a wipeable but completely matt finish and a sophisticated palette make this a really special collection” says Lucinda Chambers. “Tigers Eye (above) is a particular favourite shade.” 

Shop this collection here.

Paint Collection - Wise Buy – Winner: Heritage Collection by Dulux

Drawing on Dulux's 90 years of expertise, this curated Heritage by Dulux collection includes 112 elegant colours all of which have a unique velvet matt finish - Oxford Blue is shown on the wall above. 

Earlier this year, three of our stylists overhauled three different rooms with it, and al were totally bowled over by how easy it was to apply, how striking the colours were, and how true the walls ended up looking to what was in the tin. 

Developed in collaboration with professional decorators, the special formulation glides on smoothly while standing up to the demands of the modern home. “This is a really useable range of chalky-finish paints” says Sarah Spiteri. “It’s also a great way to get a heritage look at an affordable price.” 

Shop this collection here.

Neutral Paint Collection - winner: Stone by Little Greene

There is a real versatility to the Stone collection by Little Greene. Formulated in collaboration with the National Trust, the range includes 36 colours which take their inspiration from tones found in the natural world. As neutrals, they’re not all pale, but their subtle pigments make the perfect backdrops for liveable interiors, and the way they differ subtly from each other means they are very easy to use, creating intriguing schemes where the woodwook and ceiling differ only slightly from the walls.

“They feel like a breath of fresh air, having an instantly calming effect on me,” says Pip McCormac.

Shop this collection here. 

Fabric - winner: Bengale by Manuel Canovas for Colefax & Fowler

The many hues this fabric comes in delighted the judges, as their zinginess helps to truly modernise what could be a fairly traditional print. Manuel Canovas works directly with artisans taking inspiration from archival documents and exotic locations to create a range bursting with vibrant colour. Showing a scene in the time of the Raj, this classic 19th century Toile features elephants, tigers and ostriches against a backdrop of Moghul palaces and tropical jungles.

"This design seems like it's telling a story, enlivened by its dazzling array of bright shades, too,” says Pip McCormac.

Shop this fabric here.

Plain Fabric Collection - winner: Gaia by Camengo

Made predominantly of recycled water bottles and food packaging, the Gaia collection of fabrics by Camengo's strange beginnings doesn't stop it being any less floaty or enchanting. It's the perfect collection of neutrals, ideal for creating soft schemes or anchoring bolder rooms, super versatile and easy to work with. It comes in 29 colours. 

“All the hues have a really romantic grey tone to them - they make me think of relaxed summer days,” says Pip McCormac.

Shop this collection here.

Wallpaper - winner: Madam Crysanthème by Fromental

‘Madame Chrysanthème’ is one of nine wallcoverings from Studio by Fromental, a new collection by the British brand designed to bring hand-painted papers into everyday homes. Drawing inspiration from a breadth of design styles, it’s printed and hand-painted onto a paper-backed fabric which adds a wonderful textural quality to this stylised floral. 

“This is a great way to introduce luxurious, hand painted papers in to your space” says Minnie Kemp. “The blue colourway is particularly beautiful.”  

Shop this wallpaper here.

Trimming - winner: Menagerie by Samuel & Sons

Featuring a bold leopard pattern embroidered with wool and lustrous yarns, the Menagerie trim is fresh take on a classic animal print, and a wonderful way to inject a bit of flair into the home. Graphic, dynamic and multi-dimensional this statement border is available in Lapis, Emerald and Onyx. Ther judging panel enjoyed imagining how this could be used, perhaps along stair runners, up the side of chairs or sofas, or on drapes.

“These would be really easy to use – they’re chic but fun at the same time” says Minnie Kemp. “If you had plain linen curtains you could add this and make them really sexy.”

Shop this collection here.