Octavia Dickinson and Edward Bulmer launch new English Garden Palette

Edward Bulmer Natural Paint and interior designer Octavia Dickinson have joined forces to launch The English Garden Palette, introducing three new paint colours inspired by the garden: Dahlia Pink, Hedge Mustard and Rambling Rose.

Alongside nine existing shades from the Edward Bulmer Natural Paint collection, the new palette explores the relationship between colour, art and interior design, drawing inspiration from the layered beauty of an English garden in full bloom. The nine additional colours are Blue John, Burlington, Hawtrey, Fine Green, Olympian Green, Celadon, Creami Colour, George and Cyanotoype.

Designed to work together rather than as standalone statement colours, the twelve shades create a quietly expressive palette that complements artworks, antiques and contemporary pieces.

From traditional country houses to contemporary interiors, The English Garden Palette offers a refined foundation for decorating. Used on walls, cabinetry, woodwork or garden furniture, the colours are designed to enhance the character and patina of existing pieces.

Known for her richly layered interiors, interior designer Octavia Dickinson brings her distinctive use of colour, pattern and texture to the collaboration. Her work combines a deep appreciation for English decorative tradition with a fresh and contemporary sensibility.

Renowned for his natural paints and historically informed approach to colour, Edward Bulmer shares Dickinson’s belief that interiors should be beautiful, responsible and designed to last. His use of natural pigments and focus on craftsmanship reflect the values behind the collection.

Together, Dickinson and Bulmer have created an English garden-inspired paint palette rooted in traditional colour and pattern. Detailed yet relaxed, The English Garden Palette celebrates colour as an integral part of an interior, working harmoniously alongside paintings, furniture, antiques and treasured objects.

To celebrate the launch of The English Garden Palette, we spoke to Octavia about the art of decorating with colour and her inspiration behind the new palette.

The launch introduces three beautiful new colours created by yourself and Edward, how do you see colour influencing our mood, wellbeing and the way we feel in our homes?

Colour is integral to our lives and has a huge influence on how we feel.  I use colour and colour combinations to create a certain mood in a room; particular colours are uplifting and work for rooms where we want to feel lively and social, whereas in rooms such as bedrooms and bathrooms, more grey-based tones, that are less sharp and contrasting, calm our brains and allow for a more relaxed state. Rooms are made up of a multitude of layers of colour, texture and pattern and it is through the combinations we put together of these we can manipulate how we feel in a room, and ultimately our own mood and wellbeing.

Describe The English Garden Palette?

The Palette is a collection of twelve colours, inspired by nature, that can be used both inside and out, to form an extension of the English garden.  A huge part of the English Country style, which I am known for, is the use of floral patterns and colours originating in the garden, and this palette is the perfect base for such a scheme.  Both Edward and I are very much influenced by the natural world and we wanted to create a palette that reflects the huge importance it has on us as designers. As a whole, the palette provides a wonderful range of tones that work together exclusively, but can also be taken apart and used in groups or singularly to still bring a bit of the natural world to a scheme.

Talk us through each of the three new colours and how they make you feel.

Hedge mustard is an ochre/ mustard yellow with rich tones of orange and brown.  It’s dirtiness makes it perfect for utilitarian areas, while the orangey undertones emerge when lit up and make it a very happy feeling colour.

Dhalia Pink is a colour I feel very close to, having wanted to create this colour for a long time. The orangey, browny, red base of this pink gives the colour an incredible depth and richness.  Dhalia pink feels very joyful. It also is a truly wonderful backdrop to works of art, both old and modern.

Rambling Rose is the lightest of the three new colours, and gloriously mimics a suffused petal, having the effect of a very light purple gently washed over a light pink.  It is an incredibly pretty colour and very calm and relaxing.

How do you approach the relationship between artwork and the colour of the wall behind it?

Creating successful interiors is all about creating the right balance and relationship between various contrasting elements; the right balance of colours, light and dark, femineity and masculinity, soft and hard, pattern and plain. The same approach is needed when choosing where to hang art and what colour to hang it on. It does not need to be the perfect complimentary colour combination, but it is important that the colour enhances the work of art and vice versus. I also do not look at one piece of art solely, but in tandem with the other pieces in the room, along with the surrounding furniture. It is a balancing act and all things need to be considered to create the right balance.

How would you use each of the new shades in an interior, and what kinds of rooms or spaces do you think they are particularly suited to?

What I love about the three new shades, is how versatile they are. This is due to the wonderful natural pigments Edward Bulmer uses to make them, as well as the combination of pigments within them. Rambling rose works so very well as a wall colour. I already have it in my bedroom and it feels very calm, but I can see it working wonderfully in an expansive space up stairs and along corridors, as it picks up different light sources and reflects different colours.  It would also be a very pretty drawing room colour.

Hedge Mustard I definitely see as being useful on woodwork in back of house, utilitarian rooms, where a bit of dirtiness is wanted in a colour, but also due to the depth of the colour, it will be well suited to dining rooms with lots of candle flickers, and drawing rooms and studies, rooms that have pockets of well-lit areas and darker areas.

I would like to colour drench a downstairs loo in Dhalia Pink, or use it alongside a wonderfully rich wallpaper. Dhalia pink is a very good colour to hang artworks on, so it is very well suited to drawing rooms and dining rooms and would look very striking in a hallway.

How does natural paint change the feel of a colour?

Natural pigment gives the paints a depth of colour that you don’t get in synthetic paints. The finish is a lot more chalky, more natural, which imitates the nature of the mineral pigments. Overall, the colours feel more alive, reflect light better and create a richer and warmer finish.

The English Garden Palette is available now in sample pots, sustainable A5 swatches  and in all three of the award-winning Edward Bulmer natural paint finishes. To explore each colour further, click on the swatch below.

Not sure where to start? Where to use our colours? Our colour consultants are happy to advise you.

Start your colour journey today.