Will Taylor is easy to spot; dressed in bright colours from head to toe, he’s a walking embodiment of his brand of ‘make you smile style’.
Will’s love of colour and design led him to set up his blog Bright Bazaar back in 2009. ‘At the time I was really uninspired, living in one of those new build estates where every house looks identical. American design blogs encouraged me to start sharing my personal vision online and the rest is history.’
What began as a hobby soon led to the publication of the Bright Bazaar book and now a collaboration with pioneering paint company Valspar.
‘Valspar and I have the same values and share the same goals; I’ve always wanted people to feel confident and passionate about using colour in their everyday lives.’
In an attempt to create something tangible from Bright Bazaar’s online presence, Valspar and Will came up with the idea of creating a piece of art that uses a 3D effect to appear to expose the interior of a colourfully painted family home painted on a wall in central London.
‘I really wanted to show people that there are more ways to use colour than just painting one feature wall- I wanted to encourage people to colour outside the lines.’ To find inspiration, Will regularly goes on ‘colour-hunting’ trips around the capital; ‘London is a treasure trove of colourful spots- Notting Hill has to be one of my favourite areas; I’m in seventh heaven when I’m there.’
The international success of Bright Bazaar has also meant that Will now travels the world in search of colour.
Will’s trademark Bright Bazaar blue and yellow colour scheme was born on his travels abroad; ‘I adore that colour combination; it stems from trips to Sweden where I fell in love with their vibrant, blue and yellow post boxes.’
You can see the colours come to life on Will’s blog, in his clothes and, of course, in his home.
‘My couch is sky blue – I actually believe a plain, block colour piece can act as a neutral which I can then decorate with any coloured pillows, cushions or throws. People often assume that you have to have a white background if you’re going to work with prints and patterns, but any block colour works just as well.’
‘I recently visited Mauritius and it was amazing to see how colour was used in their culture; embraced and celebrated everywhere; from what people were wearing to their houses to the food on their plates; there was such vibrancy and positivity to life. I think here in the UK we embrace colour when we’re children but don’t always make time for it as we get older. Working with Valspar I hope I’m showing people that you can have colour in your home and still feel grown-up and professional.’
Will’s success with Bright Bazaar is testament to the inspirational power of the internet; blogs and social media are undoubtedly responsible for broadening people’s decorating horizons, encouraging them to express their creativity in ways that may not have occurred to them before.
‘Maybe you always wanted to make moodboards but didn’t feel that you were creative enough; sites like Pinterest mean that you can do that at the click of a button; you don’t need to have been to art school!’
‘I think the attitude towards colour is definitely starting to shift- I remember when I first started blogging it wasn’t en vogue at all, but now if you look at major retailers that used to be better known for their khakis and neutrals, they’re now embracing colour blocking and neons. The change in fashion has filtered down into interior collections on the high street, so it’s an ideal time for people to embrace more colour.’
Valspar has the ability to match any colour the eye can see – that’s 2.2 million shades so how does Will recommend you narrow down your choices?
‘If you’re struggling to decorate an area, leave the room; take yourself out of your home altogether. We make colour-based decisions everyday without even realising it; whether it’s the colour of the packaging of products we buy in the supermarket, or the adverts you’re drawn to when walking down the street; so just try and take note of the colours you respond to. Colour is everywhere if you look for it.’
And with a colourful character like Will Taylor, you don’t have to look far.
Introducing Valspar paint
Valspar can create as many colours as the eye can see – that’s 2.2 million shades, so if your heart is set on a colour, Valspar can match it. What’s more you can save your colour preferences on Valspar’s system, so whether it’s the ideal shade for Laura’s bathroom, or dad’s study, you’ll remember for future reference.
Available exclusively at B&Q, Valspar’s Premium paints feature a super scrub formula so paint won’t fade or chip off when cleaned and it comes in a range of wide range of high quality interior and exterior paints in a variety of finishes. Visit valsparpaint.co.uk to see how you can start colouring outside the lines, or see the range at B&Q.
