This month we’re sharing our exciting new Colour Influences for Spring Summer 2012, starting this week Joanna Feeley, member of the Crown Paints trend panels and Founder and Creative Director of the Trend Bible, shares her thoughts on the first colour palette – Summer Jewels.

Joanna, who has 13 years of experience in trend forecasting for fashion, home interiors and lifestyle brands, was a key influence in pulling the Summer Jewel colour palette together. Here are her thoughts on the trend and how it’s beautiful colours can be used in the home.

What I love personally about this palette is that it’s so versatile; it’s vibrant and optimistic, with its shocking colour clash between the pink (Scan® T9372X)* and yellow (Scan® B8573X)*.

If you look at our story behind the mood for this trend, it’s inspired by 1950s Palm Springs, where architecture helps create an outdoor lifestyle, with sliding glass walls and furniture that performs indoors and out. We’re starting to see this type of design used more frequently here in the UK, where outdoor heaters and lighting are facilitating our use of outdoor space, despite our somewhat unpredictable weather.

Using some of the bolder colours in this palette, like the pink and yellow, for feature walls or woodwork adds drama. These shades can even be used in the garden, on plant pots and garden furniture – adding a pop of colour which sits beautifully against a backdrop of lush green foliage.

If you consider the wonderful blues and greens – you can create a really relaxing, aquatic colour harmony – reminiscent of a Palm Springs swimming pool. Cool Stepping Stone® on walls and Deep Ivy Solo® Gloss on woodwork is an ideal solution for updating any hall or lounge.

These colours are really sophisticated despite the intrusion of brights. The dark moody green and teal shades add drama and depth to any room, while the bright pink looks fantastic when against a lush tropical backdrop – even if this is only house plant ferns!

If I was to sum up this palette in five words I would say it’s: tropical, aquatic, vibrant, energetic and sophisticated.

*Pink (Scan® T9372X) and yellow (Scan® B8573X) are tinted colours available from Crown Decorating Centre.