A celebration of colour, craftsmanship and the decorative traditions of the past, the Modern Country Palette brings together interior designer Carlos Garcia and Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. At its heart are three new colours, created exclusively for Carlos by Edward Bulmer. Inspired by historic ceramics, treasured objects and Carlos’s travels, Iznik, Karapinar and Mocha Blue bring a fresh perspective to the traditional English country house. The new shades sit alongside a selection of existing Edward Bulmer colours, including Spanish White, Whiting, Sea Green and London Brown, to form a palette designed for walls, woodwork and furniture. Three colours with a story to tell Iznik Inspired by a treasured Iznik ewer from Carlos’s collection, Iznik is a vivid turquoise blue recalling the richly coloured ceramics of the Ottoman Empire. Its clear, jewel-like character makes it a striking choice for sitting rooms, garden rooms and painted furniture. Karapinar Named after the Karapinar desert in Turkey, Karapinar is a rich, earthy orange inspired by the colour of sand in the evening sun. Carlos particularly loves it for kitchens and painted joinery, where its expressive colour can transform everyday furniture. Mocha Blue Mocha Blue draws its inspiration from early 19th-century mochaware, the decorated earthenware that Carlos has collected for many years. A distinctive, saturated blue, it works beautifully on cabinetry and furniture, as well as walls, bringing a historic reference into contemporary interiors. Chair painted in Karapinar and cabinet painted in Iznik with Mocha Blue shelves. The Modern Country Palette at our London showroom To celebrate the collaboration, Carlos transformed our London showroom using the three new colours alongside his selection of existing Edward Bulmer shades. His distinctive Gillows four-poster bed took centre stage, dressed in Mughal Poppy, a fabric from his collection. Further fabrics and wallpapers introduced layers of pattern, while the painted furniture demonstrated how confidently the colours work together. The installation brought Carlos’s vision of modern country decoration to life, combining historic references with a wonderfully individual approach to colour. Walls painted in Jonquil behind Carlos' new fabric collection Carlos Garcia's installation at our London Townhouse Sang de Boeuf on the walls with Carlos' new selection of wallpapers In conversation with Carlos Garcia We spoke to Carlos about the inspiration behind the collection, his love of historic design and how he imagines these colours being used in homes today. How did creating these colours differ from your work with fabrics and wallpapers? All my fabrics are based on original designs and the colours are historically informed. Bringing those original documents back to life whilst respecting their heritage is crucial. The same principle applied to creating these new colours. They feed on historical sources, they have depth and meaning. They feel instantly at home and chromatically sit very much at ease with Edward Bulmer’s entire range. What inspired Iznik, Karapinar and Mocha Blue? Iznik and Karapinar are both derived from an Iznik Ewer which I treasure. All three colours derive from a very romantic look back to the past. Iznik is a deep and complex shade of turquoise. Very much present on its many iterations on early iznik tiles throughout the Ottoman empire. Karapinar takes its name from the desert of the same name in Turkey and evokes its intense rust orange dunes kissed by the oblique warm evening sun. These vivid shades transport me to the jewelled tones that western travellers to Turkey and Persia would have encountered back in the 18th and 19th centuries. Mocha is inspired by a particular shade of blue present in Mochaware, a traditional and utilitarian type of earthenware “evocative of ancient country taverns with aged settles, cricket tables and old gents smoking long pipes”. I’ve collected Mochaware for many years and the intense concentric bands of deep bright blue have always intrigued me. Why was it important that these colours work on woodwork as well as walls? I believe that colour is the canvas on which a room rests. It is in the background yet bringing it all together. I however felt these colours could bring a hint of colour to the forefront without being intimidating or overpowering, without unbalancing the design. I see them of course working on walls but my mind was on kitchen cabinets, bookcases, chairs, farmhouse tables, etc… It is the versatility they offer and their depth that makes them unique. Boot room painted in Evie with woodwork in Iznik by Sarah Fortescue How do you suggest using the colours at home? These colours are very versatile. Karapinar would make the most wonderfully warm kitchen, Iznik the most luscious and characterful sitting room or garden room, Mocha would make garden furniture sing against green hedges… They work very well on the walls but they also come alive on joinery. They also work very well with each other as we’ve demonstrated on the cabinet, which we’ve painted in Iznik and Mocha. Iznik and Karapinar also work wonderfully as an ensemble, so much so that we’ve created a limited edition fabric and wallpaper with them. How do global influences fit into traditional English interiors? English decoration is a reflection of English culture. England is inclusive, absorbs other cultures and incorporates them into our everyday, becoming naturalised. This has been done throughout millennia. English country houses are full of French furniture, Persian rugs, Spanish Cordoba leather, Chinese porcelain, Turkish suzanis…. Do you see this collection as a new chapter in English country style? English style is constantly evolving yet it doesn’t run too far away and it is always recognisable. Not sure if it’ll redefine English Style but it’s certainly my vision of it and how it sits with our modern way of living without transforming it so drastically that it becomes anodyne. Which Edward Bulmer colour do you return to most often? LUTE. I adore its depth, warmth, hint of dirt, subtlety and sophistication. I cannot get enough of it. Bathroom painted in Jonquil by Carlos Garcia Hallway painted in Lute by Carlos Garcia. Photography: Christopher Horwood Bathroom painted in Nicaragua by Carlos Garcia. Photography: Paul Massey Discover the Modern Country Palette From the vivid turquoise of Iznik to the earthy orange of Karapinar and the distinctive blue of Mocha Blue, the Modern Country Palette celebrates colour with history, individuality and a place in the modern home. Explore the Modern Country Palette and discover the colours created by Edward Bulmer in collaboration with Carlos Garcia.
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