Beyond the sea, the literal meaning of Ultramarine, refers to the ancient trade in Lapis Lazuli from quarries in north eastern Afghanistan. Classed as a semi precious stone, this clear blue mineral has been prized by artists for millennia. Its rarity and therefore, cost, gave rise to a government competition in 1820’s France to find an equivalent for it, such was their taste for the colour. A chemist named Jean Baptiste Guimet officially claimed the prize in 1828 for his kaolin, sodium and sulphur based formula, variants of which are the pigment we use today and is known as French Ultramarine. Hall in Edward Bulmer Natural Paint Garter Blue It imparts a slightly purplish tone and is useful to impart the ‘true blue’ cast to our Garter Blue, in this beautiful hallway below left. It also elevates Fine Grey to a shade that preserves its cool presence even when metamerism turns other greys a little green in hue. Some more of our colours this deep jewel like pigment creates; ‘Duck egg’ one of the softest creamiest shades in a beautiful drawing room and ‘French Blue’ styled here by Oka in a cosy coastal retreat. We do now offer ‘Shades’ of a selection of our beautiful colours, marked on our colour card with an *. Giving you more flexibility and allowing you to choose a colour that best suits the room aspect. If you would like to try one of these in a 60%, 40% or 20% lighter versions please do call us for more details and advice. For more colour inspiration please follow us on Instagram @edwardbulmerpaint and @edward_bulmer and if you love pinning, we are @Edwardbulmerpaint on Pinterest, we also have an extensive gallery of the colours in real rooms on our website. Our social network has never been more important. A safe place where we can all support and inspire one another. We will continue to share our colours in your wonderful homes. Watch this space for more design tips from Edward and brilliant creative ideas for your home. Please keep in touch and keep sharing all your paint projects and rooms #edwardbulmerpaint
Edward Bulmer Natural Paint wins ‘The Conscious Award’ at The Country and Townhouse Interiors Awards This July our team were thrilled to pick up ‘The Conscious Award’ from Country and Townhouse, celebrating our brand prioritising sustainable business models, responsibility and staying true to our ethos and brand mission.
Discover the new ‘Forever Favourites Collection’ Create a scheme from one room to your whole house with soft colours that work together effortlessly ensuring tonal flow and harmony. Our 12 best loved shades together in one pack. Discover the power of natural paint today.
Colour Drenching Ideas One of the emerging trends of 2025 is colour drenching. For anyone wondering, this is simply painting a room in a single colour, allowing the colour to flow across walls, ceiling and trims. This is a brave way to decorate, but it creates harmony, depth and a strong visual impact. Dive in for colour and design and be inspired.
How to Decorate with Pinks Pinks have of course been ‘en vogue’ for some years now and these timeless new neutrals are staying at the top of the paint charts for a reason; they work with so many other colours and patterns from flooring to soft furnishings and hardware in a room and look as chic in a bedroom as they do in a lofty hallway. What is not to love?!
The Sitting Room Haven The sitting room is the best room in the house to relax in. The kitchen may be the bustling heart of the home, but the sitting room is the room to escape to and unwind in, to find some calm and peace. It’s also a great room to entertain friends in. The colour you choose to decorate it in is key to the atmosphere and mood.