With almost endless choices on offer, putting together a decorating scheme can be daunting. This is especially true when it comes to the building blocks that the whole room hinges on: paints, fabrics, flooring, tiles and so on. At Neptune, we think of them as our essential toolkit, without which a room couldn’t come to life. So that you’re inspired but not overwhelmed with too much choice, we curate our paint colours, patterns and materials so everything works together, with no risk of jarring contrasts. The idea is to make decorating as effortless as possible. Here’s an in-depth guide to how it works.

Colour schemes

With paint, it’s easy to end up with tones that are either too cold or too warm, or to get confused by which white goes best with your accent shade. To remove the guesswork, we keep our palettes scrupulously organised. ‘Our core collection consists of 28 colours, grouped into handy families of four – you can be sure that if you use one shade, there are always three other perfect pairings,’ says George, home designer at our Fulham store. At a glance, you’ll spot which quartets will create either a cool or cosy scheme, making it easy to coordinate walls with our bespoke-painted furniture. ‘We also have a seasonal palette that we add to each year, where you’ll find our bolder colour choices,’ adds George. These seasonal hues eventually go into our archive, so you can always request an old favourite to spice up a new scheme.

Walls and ceilings

Here, our collection is small, but perfectly formed. ‘For timeless elegance, the Elcot ceramic brick tiles come in four colours designed to complement our paints,’ says Jessica, who’s the home designer at our Cheltenham store. ‘There are three sizes so you can create something unique that complements your other design choices. The Kennet marble tiles in brick, herringbone or hexagonal patterns are a more indulgent version.” Like our tiles, the Hepworth linen-effect wallcovering adds subtle texture. ‘It brings warmth to neutral schemes and flatters our wooden furniture,’ says Jessica. Finally, there’s Cranbrook shiplap, a modern-rustic, rough spruce boarding that adds natural cosiness, matches any colour scheme and works just as well on the ceiling as it does on walls.

Floors

There are nine robust stone floors in our collection, plus engineered wood planks, herringbone and chevron boards in three colours. Because every shade is grounded in nature, they’ll combine to create a sense of flow around your home, and tone effortlessly with Neptune furniture. ‘There’s something to suit every interior,’ says George. ‘With stone tiles, you can even mix different designs to create a chequerboard style.’ Rugs come in organic materials that chime perfectly with wood and stone. ‘The focus is on different textures – flat weaves for high-traffic areas, and chunky wool designs that feel soft underfoot in relaxing spaces.

Hardware

Ironmongery is like jewellery for the home, and just as transformative. Ours is inspired by time-honoured designs like classic D-handles, and can make a room feel more polished or more functional according to the finish. ‘There are six choices – from chrome to brass or oak and leather – which evoke every style from traditional country to industrial,’ says George.

Fabrics

‘Texture is what gives a home character, and fabric is the easiest way to achieve that,’ says George. ‘Our fabrics are edited so everything works in unison, and in harmony with our paint colours.’ Natural fibres – wool, cotton-velvet and pure linen – make perfect sense together and create sensual contrasts. Patterns are always unfussy, with a choice of understated florals, stripes or geometrics. ‘Some are small repeats, others more expansive, but all live happily together.’

Explore our decorating collection online here, where you can also order paint samples and fabric swatches. For samples of our flooring, wall covering and hardware, just heads to or get in touch with your nearest Neptune store.