Right now the fashion world is abuzz with the latest from Men’s Fashion Week in Milan, and whether it’s the well fitted Jil Sander suit that gets your heart beating or the quirkiness of the Frankie Morello collection – there’s a catwalk trend that will help kick start an inspirational new look for your home interior.


We all know that interior styles can often stem from stand-out catwalk trends, and our advice this season is to take inspiration from Dolce and Gabbana and Andrea Pompolio AW 2012 collections. Mix and layer colours and fabrics. Try combining natural wools with man-made prints – go for heavy gold embroidery and rich velvets for a look that just oozes luxury.

On walls, choose an appropriate colour palette. We suggest natural earthy browns with more vibrant greens, deep blues and purples. For a look that is truly bang on trend, team our textured matt emulsion in Fawn Suede with a feature wall of Eveningwear® or Double Denim® from our Fashion for Walls® collection.


For more information on both our textured matt emulsion and Fashion for Walls® ranges , please visit www.crownpaints.co.uk.

Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr Watson, return for what is already the biggest show of 2012. Okay, so it’s only January, but the second series has got everyone talking – great plots, style, humour and even interiors.

The BBC’s take on the Sherlock Holmes tales works because it’s a modern twist on something classic and the same goes for the amazing, inspirational sets too. Sherlock’s flat is a fabulous eccentric mix of pattern, colour and memorabilia. The question is, how do you achieve this unique look for yourself?

Well the answer is quite elementary. Think Victorian chic meets 2012 high society London, with a dash of bachelor pad style thrown in for good luck.

The use of strong, deep dramatic colours will help you recreate that air of mystique created felt in Holmes’ Baker Street flat – statement reds, vivid greens and royal blues are perfect to evoke a feeling of the past while living in a modern build.

Try combining colours from our Indulgence® collection – mix the traditional feel of Tuscan Olive and City Life with the drama of Prom Night® – for a paint scheme that delivers rich velvety hues.

Alternatively, experiment with Ballgown®, Scarlett Ribbon® or Velvet Plum from our Period Colours Dead Flat Matt collection, for shades that provide decadent warmth with a contemporary finish.

Check out our complete paint collection here

Got the post-holiday blues? Then give yourself a lift by freshening up your home. Ask yourself – does the decor feel a bit dated? Does it even reflect your personality?

Here at Crown, we believe your home should be your sanctuary – an escape from stress, and the place in which you plan for the future – so why not add a splash of colour to your walls, transforming them for 2012.

No matter what your desired look, we offer an array of matt and silk emulsions that are sure to suit each and every one of your individual decorating needs. From Soft Lime to Dramatic, we’ve got a colour combination to suit you.

Your time is precious, so why waste it? With our Solo® One Coat range, decorating times can be significantly reduced. The collection features thirty one beautiful shades to transform your room in just one coat and are all 99% solvent free.

Try deep red Fireside® – perfect for a dramatic transformation of any living room; Teal – a luxurious shade for that dining experience; or Golden Roast® – a shade that will add warmth and depth to any bedroom.

Click here to look at our complete paint collection.

We’ve had a busy, but successful year here at Crown Paints, and are now looking forward to an equally exciting 2012.


All that remains is to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With Christmas just a few days away, it’s time to cosy in and find your festive inspiration. Our glamorous Metallic range offers a dazzling array of shades to transform every interior into a perfect yuletide home.
This season is all about festive glamour, so be creative – use our beautiful Dazzle®, Refresh® and Vivid® to help you create a look that is warm, welcoming and up to date.

With further sparkling shades, including deep gold – Millionaire® and a silvery-gold – Striking®, the palette is an ideal accompaniment for every Christmas scene. Think roaring fires, spruce trees, parties at home and lots of colourful presents.

So, whether it’s creating a metallic-look feature wall, adding life with a beautiful stencil or refreshing a room ready for some festive entertaining, our Metallic shades are ideal for those looking for a seasonal change.

The Crown Metallic’s range is available in six stunning shades and suitable for walls, ceilings, wooden surfaces and metal.

For more information click here

As winter draws in and the nights get colder and darker, the craving for making our homes more cosy and comfortable is almost palpable! Candles, low lighting, tons of cushions and comfy layers all help create that lovely snug retreat.

Our super rich and creamy Indulgence® matt emulsion range is the perfect finishing touch for creating a warm yet sophisticated look.

Indulgence® is packed with tiny microspheres that help you achieve a soft, super thick, velvety finish that glides on to walls beautifully. Our collection of 24 colours offers a wide selection of glamorous shades, helping you create a beautiful home that you’re truly proud of.

From deep reds and purples, such as Armagnac®, Crimson Kiss® and Prom Night®, to rich browns like Mocha, Chocolate Comtesse® and Moulin Rouge – you’re sure to find the perfect colour to match your winter mood.

For more information click here.

Earlier this month we sponsored the WorldSkills 2011 event at the ExCeL arena in London and were joined by over 200,000 people. Among them were a raft of world and business leaders such as David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Princess Anne, Boris Johnson and entrepreneur Theo Paphitis who were all on hand to support this fantastic occasion. Taking place over four days, World Skills is the world’s largest international skills event that is staged to showcase the work skills of young people from across the globe.

As an official sponsor, we gave visitors an opportunity to gain some practical painting experience by setting up our ‘Have a Go Area’ in the arena. Created to encourage people to interact with paint and learn a little more about the Crown colour palette we were able to reach out to many youngsters and passersby who were curious about the painting and decorating trade. By getting involved in the ‘Have a Go Area’ people were able to try painting using stencils in a competition and were also asked to select their favourite colour from 20 of the top Crown colours.

Many people joined us and the enthusiastic students from the Painting and Decorating Department of Lambeth College were on hand to advise those getting involved. Shocking Pink claimed the title ‘WorldSkills 2011 Favourite Colour’ and we also drew a winner from all of those who took part in our stencilling competition.

Over 1000 apprentices took part in the event as they competed against one another in teams representing 46 countries for medals. The total UK medal haul included 5 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze, an improvement on the last event held in Calgary in 2009. Also, Transport for London was testing additional transport systems that will be used for the Olympics next year, and the Docklands Light Railway had the busiest ever day in its history, creating a really special feeling about the event.

The event was certainly a success and demonstrated the fantastic skills of young people from all over the world. It was also a great show of how vocational careers can truly inspire the young to achieve their goals and support economic development for years to come.  

We’re always keen to share our knowledge and expertise so that you can get the best out of our products, which is why we’ve just launched a new series of ‘How-To’ videos featuring our wonderful Crown decorating and colour experts Mark Bannister and Chrissie Baldwin.

With an abundance of experience between them, they’re both full of decorating know-how and in this set of videos provide some fantastic tips to get you started.

Need some tips for choosing colour? Want to update the look of your kitchen cupboards but can’t afford a whole new set of units? Then check out our new ‘how to’ videos for expert advice on a whole range of decorating projects and Crown products.  Visit our YouTube channel and we’ll talk you through every step of the way.

Check out this video  which explains the best way to paint a radiator.

Still got a question? Call our Paint Talk team on 08702401127 or send us a tweet @crownpaints