As soon as we heard that interior designer Carlos Garcia was collaborating with natural paint specialist Edward Bulmer, we knew that we could (and should) expect great things. Carlos, who is a loyal client and close friend of Edward, describes the partnership as a ‘natural fit’ – and we could not agree more. United by their passion for history, culture and sustainable yet beautiful design, they have created a trio of exclusive new paint colours. They say that good things come in threes and that is certainly the case here as each of the colours is wonderfully rich and vibrant, and reveals Carlos’s skill for storytelling through his creations.
So what are these three new colours? ‘Iznik’ is a jewel-toned green influenced by a particularly prized Iznik ewer from Carlos’s own collection; ‘Karapinar’, a warm, earthy orange, evokes the dunes of the Turkish desert after which it is named; and ‘Mocha Blue’ is based on the deep shade seen on early-19th-century mochaware pottery. ‘I wanted to create a group of colours that felt equally at ease on walls but bring alive woodwork, joinery or furniture,’ says Carlos. ‘Parts of a home that are often sometimes overlooked.’
They were created using Bespoke by Bulmer, a custom colour service that is offered to interior designers and homeowners alike, and form part of a new Modern Country Palette. For this, Carlos chose existing paints from the Edward Bulmer range to complement his new colours – including popular yellow-pink ‘Jonquil’ and browny red ‘Sang de Boeuf’ – to ensure a well-rounded and cohesive scheme. Whether you are embarking on a complete redecoration project, or are simply looking to enhance one room, this palette will provide the perfect starting point.
If, like us, you have long admired Carlos’s elegant country house style, from his own house in Norfolk to smaller London homes, this collection presents the perfect opportunity to bring a little of his magic to your own rooms. As Edward says, ‘Carlos has the eye of a cultural magpie – infinitely curious, respectful and open. He knows a great pattern or colour when he sees one, but he also has the vision to be able to see how a colour could transform a room if plucked from a glazed pot and turned into a soft matt wall colour or wallpaper ground.’
Carlos’s eye for pattern and colour is also reflected in his own range of wallpapers and fabrics, which he is expanding with new designs this autumn. One of the highlights is ‘Honiton’, a reimagined version of a 19th-century English hand-blocked envelope that the designer found at a country house in Norfolk. The fabric has been coloured using ‘Iznik’ and ‘Karapina’ and is a limited-edition design created exclusively for the collaboration with Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. ‘Honiton’ is also available as a wallpaper in a choice of appealing colourways.
The Modern Country Palette is available to pre-order now. You can buy sample pots online and at the new Edward Bulmer Natural Paint showroom on Pimlico Road. Carlos Garcia’s fabrics and wallpapers are available from his website.
