When she was looking to transform her guest room, presenter, singer and actor, Kimberley Walsh, knew she needed to channel nature’s neutral. “Sage is having a moment within the world of interior design, and there are so many shades available on the market, but I couldn’t quite find the right tone,” she says. And, after the success of their previous colour collaboration, Blue Haze, both Wickes and the star were keen to work together again. “The process second time around was just as meticulous. I’m a perfectionist, so it had to be spot on!” Kimberley says. “We spent weeks narrowing down testers until we found a few I particularly liked. I then sampled those around my home and observed how they looked in the light at different times of the day.” The result is a soft and timeless shade that almost acts as a neutral, inspiring the name, Subtle Sage.
Kimberley isn’t afraid to get stuck in.
Kimberley says, “I wanted something that could either inject life into existing schemes or be used as the basis for a whole new look.” She continues, “It has a vintage vibe, with delicate hues of grey running through the green, giving it that slight edge. Subtle Sage is one of the few colours that can transition from modern to industrial and back to traditional without skipping a beat. The beauty is in the versatility and while it’s gorgeous in my guest room, it would work beautifully elsewhere around the house.”
As a DIY addict who was inspired by her mum’s home improvement as a child, Kimberley says she prefers to roll up her sleeves and get to work rather than hiring decorators. “I’ve always thought there’s no need to pay someone when you can do it yourself,” she tells us. “After collating ideas on Pinterest, I was inspired to install panelling in my guest room, finishing with a coat of my colour to make the woodwork pop. The paint brought everything to life. If you’re new to DIY, I recommend starting with paint. Should something go horribly wrong, it’s easy to fix and it has the power to totally transform a room.”
The colour works well paired with existing schemes or on its own.
And, for Kimberley’s next paint project? “I can’t wait to use Subtle Sage to revamp my farm-style dining table,” she says. “Hopefully my colour will make family mealtimes a more harmonious affair!”
For further information on Kimberley’s Subtle Sage shade and more design inspiration for your own paint project, head to Wickes.co.uk . If you don’t know what colour to go for, Wickes has the tool for you here.