Spring is finally here and it's a delight to see blossom on the trees and blooms rearing their heads. To celebrate, we thought we'd spend a little time colour-matching our Lucky Leaf wallpaper, which is available in both large and small scales.

Hopefully this will inspire you to welcome nature (and a little bit of luck) into your home.

In Celtic lore, the four-leaf clover was considered to have magical powers, helping to ward off evil. It was even rumoured that a four-leaf clover would allow you to spot fairies - mischievous little creatures that would bring you misfortune. A four-leaf clover in the pocket would keep you safe... so we like to think our wallpaper will keep your space safe too.

THE GREENS

The colour green represents growth, renewal, and rebirth - just like spring. It's associated with the heart chakra, known as Anahata. Venus, the goddess of love, is traditionally depicted in green, as she was the patroness of vegetation and vineyards.

Verdigris, a green pigment created through the interaction of acetic acid with copper, has been used throughout history in great works of art to achieve a vivid green tone, such as in van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait (1434). However, its fickle nature was acknowledged by Leonardo da Vinci: 'Verdigris with aloes or gall or turmeric makes a fine green... but I doubt whether in a short time they will not turn black', he wrote. Artists such as van Eyck had to take great pains to ensure the colour would not diminish, especially since, in this artwork, the green tone is vitally representative of the subjects' wealth. We are fortunate that today green pigments maintain their vibrancy, and we need not fear colours fading as time passes - although perhaps this is reflective of the cycle of nature itself.

Green hues inspire an atmosphere reminiscent of verdant, liberating landscapes. Here, we've opted for Palm Night by Dulux, a blackish-green colour that works well in juxtaposition with the fresh tone of our lucky leaves.

THE YELLOWS

Traditionally, the colour yellow was thought to be found in the natural clay pigment ochre. However, in 2019, a group of Danish scientists discovered that the ancient Egyptians had developed and used a different yellow paint: one that became present centuries later in the work of Baroque artists, including Vermeer. 'It is the first time that lead-antimonate yellow and lead-tin yellow have been identified in ancient Egyptian painting,' their research paper stated. How this yellow paint was handed down through so many generations and across continents is unknown. But it's an exciting idea; one that proves the enduring essence not only of creativity but of the colour yellow too.

The use of yellow in art dates back to prehistoric cave paintings, where it was often representative of sun-gods, power, and fortune. So, perhaps it is fitting to take a brush of yellow paint to a wall or furnishing in your space and pay homage to history.

CommonRoom founder, and the designer of this paper, Kate, used a mustard shade in her bathroom, which offsets the green clovers beautifully. Here, we've gone for India Yellow by Farrow and Ball.

THE REDS & THE PURPLES 

And finally, in a slight departure from perhaps the more obvious paint choices, we'd like to give a little attention to plummy reds, lilacs, and wine shades.

Kassia St. Clair, in her deep-dive into the history of the colour red, writes that the 'potent brew of power and sexuality make the colour a bold but tricky choice'. At Mary Queen of Scots' 1587 execution, it is said that she 'carefully removed her sombre outer clothes to reveal a bright scarlet undergown' - which some onlookers saw as symbolic of her martyrdom, others of her heresy. It's this spirit of dissent and the adventurousness of the colour that makes red such an alluring and impactful shade. A great example here is Theatre Red by Little Greene.

On the other hand we have purple - a traditionally luxurious, expensive colour - and lilac, which is softer and more palatable. Puce, a faded rose colour, was coined when Louis XVI stated his wife, Marie Antoinette, was dressed in 'la couleur de puce' - the colour of fleas! Of course, this colour soon became all the rage at Fontainebleu and has lived on despite Marie Antoinette's grim fate. We've selected Preference Red by Farrow and Ball and Lady Charlene's Lilac by Paint and Paper Library.

Reds and purples complement green beautifully since they sit in opposition on the colour wheel. Some even consider green to be the fourth primary colour - making the options for colour-matching endless.

We hope this helps with some colour inspiration. We’d love to see how you bring our wallpapers to life in your homes. Tag us on Instagram @commonroom.co, using the #mycommonroom or get in touch with images via email to info@commonroom.co. 

Words by Alice Hodgson.