Alcro: Brave colours

May 26th, 2012

I have been aware of Alcro paints for few years now and know firsthand how good they are on exterior wood. My garden bench looks like new despite a harsh winter and what seems like relentless rainfall.  Founded in 1906 in Stockholm, their last collection was a collaboration with Dutch trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort and is entitled ‘Birds’. Despite its outdoor name it is aimed at the interior.

It is a brave bunch of colours and perhaps not entirely suited to the British market but perfectly apt for its ‘oh so cool’ Scandinavian origins. It is made up of 31 colours broken down into 7 main Bird inspired sections with four colours in each, and then 3 Accent colours. The promotional video features Edelkoort talking about how the collection was developed and shows how the groups and individual paints work together. It is a fascinating insight into the design process, detailing just how much thought goes into the creation of the collection.

Despite the vast, almost infinite, array of paint colours available on the market, I can still find it hard to find the exact shade I want. Most people can’t understand this, or even spot the subtleties between shades ( and I won’t name and shame here!) so it was great to see some shades I haven’t seen before, particularly the yellows and reds. Whilst these colours sound strong they are in fact very gentle and inviting – not brash primary shades – which could be so easy to use.

I personally love this collection – it isn’t huge but it screams quality and modernism without being faddish. As I said before, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea and it won’t suit every style of home, but it does have some beautiful new shades which would sit happily alongside everyone’s favourite Farrow and Ball.  I really like the four shades of Black – very daring and dramatic – which would provide the perfect foil to feature wallpaper. I also like the metallic gold and super shiny Black lacquer effect which are both great for statement pieces of furniture. You could so easily breathe new life into an old lamp stand or frame with these.  But my favourite is Chicken Coop, a deep shade of green I’ve not seen before in paint but would love to use in a snug or games room.

And finally, speaking of Green, did I mention they are Eco Friendly? What more could we ask for?

See you all soon!

Holly Pagani,

Interior Designer and Owner of Salt Interiors, Norwich

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Posted in Paint