Explore Colour Block Designs for Kitchens & Baths

To discover the secrets of the colour block theme we have worked with Plutarco, an architecture studio based in Madrid, founded by Ana Arana and Enrique Ventosa. These young architects use colour as an additional construction material and explain to us their understanding of this trend which can be seen in several of their interior design projects.

What is colour block in interior design?

Trends are usually directly influenced by fashion and art, and this is a clear example of that. In interior design, colour blocking consists of using blocks of solid vibrant colours, escaping the norms.

To achieve the best possible results it is important to use a controlled colour range, with a harmonious colour combination to ensure that they all complement each other. Neutral colours are often avoided such as beige, grey and white, with priority given to brighter more contrasting colours. 

At the Plutarco studio they understand this trend as being a tool to turn colour into an additional construction material. “We like to include colours on the ceiling to give more presence and prominence to a part of a home that often goes unnoticed. We also often include colour or a checkered design on the floor too”.

Using colour in interior design projects

Intense colours provide vitality and add an element of surprise to a design, according to Ana and Enrique. 

Colours must be chosen based on the intended use for each space, because these have an effect on our mood. For example, if we want to convey passion and drive we could opt for red, while greens and blues are colours more associated with calmness and serenity.

We also differentiate between cooler and warmer colours. Cooler colours create a sense of freshness and relaxation, as they do not imply a notion of excessive movement. These colours are often used when we want to make a space feel larger. Warmer tones offer vitality and impetus to a space. These colours are used to create more intimate, closed, and warmer spaces.

How to combine colours in a colour block

A good trick when deciding on colour combinations is to use a colour wheel. You can choose one colour and its opposite on the other side of the wheel or choose three colours by drawing an equal sided triangle on the wheel. 

For Ana and Enrique from Plutarco, they like to focus on nature when combing their colours.

The studio suggests to first introduce colour with paint. “We always tell our clients that paint is the perfect way to try out a new colour in a project, because painting over a colour is easy and means you can try out several variables.”

We can also use bright colours in a space with furniture and accessories, playing around without worrying about overwhelming the space.

Colour block bathrooms

This trend can be used in any room of the house, and the bathroom is the ideal space to experiment and play around with colour.

There are now coloured basins and toilets available on the market as well as taps that we can used to combine with the furniture in our bathroom. At Cosentino we are able to design Silestone basins in our own unique colours.

Showers are also a great feature to play around with solid bright colours, whether it be through cladding or shower trays. At Cosentino we have bespoke shower trays available in every Silestone colour.

A good example of colour block bathrooms are these designs that use the colours from the Silestone Sunlit range, inspired on the Mediterranean, where we find cheerful tones such as Arcilla Red, Cala Blue and Posidonia Green. 

Colour block kitchens

This trend can be used in your kitchen by experimenting with the colours of your cabinets, creating colour blocks with the lower and upper cabinets. At Cosentino we suggest cladding your kitchen cabinets with Dekton Slim, a 4mm format that will help to create a uniformed appearance for the entire kitchen, creating colour blocks by using the same material on the worktop, fronts, and cabinets.

Another idea from Plutarco is to use colour on the cladding of the kitchen fronts and the worktop itself. We have a large variety of options such as Rojo Alicante marble or other more innovative surfaces such as Silestone or Dekton, which come in a range of solid and bright colours. 

In this case we could also go for one of the cheerful colours from the Silestone Sunlit range.