A growing interiors trend sees homeowners embracing decorative paintwork beyond the wall, using colour to highlight architectural details such as door frames, arches, skirting boards and alcoves. The result is a more characterful approach to decorating, where paint becomes a design feature in its own right.
Catherine Sanders, head of creative at Earthborn, notes a shift towards more thoughtful, detail-led use of colour. Rather than covering entire rooms in a single shade, homeowners are exploring how paint can frame, define and enhance the features that already exist within a space – from brightly coloured alcoves to striped shelves and everything in between.
The return of decorative paintwork draws inspiration from traditional interiors, where craftsmanship and detail played a central role. Today, however, the look feels softer and more relaxed, combining heritage influences with a contemporary, more playful approach to colour. Painted borders and framing techniques are becoming increasingly popular, whether through a contrasting shade around a doorway, a scalloped edge, or a subtle shift in tone across skirting boards and trims. These smaller details offer an accessible way to introduce personality without the need for a full renovation.
Sanders describes the approach as intuitive – one that works with a home’s existing architecture rather than against it. Even the simplest details, such as the inside edge of a door frame or the back of a shelf, become an opportunity to add interest. This also appeals to those who feel hesitant about bold colour. By focusing on smaller areas, homeowners can experiment with greater confidence, knowing changes are easily made should tastes evolve.
The trend connects closely with the growing peek-a-boo paint movement, where colour appears in unexpected or partially hidden places. Rather than committing to large expanses of colour, these subtle hints create gentle moments as you move through a home, drawing attention to beautiful features that might otherwise go unnoticed. When used alongside more visible painted details, such touches help establish a sense of continuity from room to room – a doorway softly framed in one tone, with another shade glimpsed just beyond it.
Earthborn’s signature Claypaint lends itself particularly well to this style. Its soft, chalky quality gently diffuses light, ensuring that even stronger colours feel balanced and easy to live with – making it ideal for areas where multiple shades sit alongside one another.
As homes continue to evolve into more expressive, personal spaces, decorative paintwork offers a simple yet impactful route to individuality. Proof, perhaps, that it is often the smallest details that make the biggest difference.
