Meet Emma Merry, Colour Consultant and Author of 'The New Colourful Home'
This month we meet Emma Merry, founder of colour and interior design consultancy Home Milk and author of 'The New Colourful Home'. Photographed by Neil Perry, 'The New Colourful Home' evolved from the Home Milk instagram page which started sharing tours of creative homes, quickly becoming a popular and inspiring place for lovers of bold, colourful interiors.
Read on to learn more about the book, Emma's creative journey and tips for bringing more colour and joy into your home.
Where does your love of interiors and bold colour come from? Did you grow up in a colourful home?
My love for colour and interiors has always been in my DNA. As a kid, I was obsessed with rearranging my bedroom furniture. Waking up in what felt like a brand-new room was the best feeling ever. Growing up in a small house, I was constantly optimising the layout. But it never crossed my mind as a career until much later. I spent years feeling lost, dabbling in TV, advertising, and fashion retail. Always around creativity, but never the creative force.
Eventually, burnout pushed me to explore new things. I dove into interior styling at Central St. Martins and took part-time courses. Moving to the ultra-creative E17 area in London, where homes were bursting with inspiring uses of colour, sparked the idea for Home Milk. It started with me photographing stunning homes and evolved into offering colour consultation and interior decor services.
Your book, The New Colourful Home, is such an amazing resource for colourful home inspiration. What was your favourite part of putting it together?
Thank you so much! Creating the book was an absolute joy, like the cherry on top of years of hard work. Home Milk began with just me, my camera, and a lot of enthusiasm. I traveled all over the UK, meeting wonderful people with the most creatively decorated homes. Seeing it all come together in a beautifully photographed book (thanks to photographer Neil) was a pinch-me moment. When it got featured in Elle Décor and was sold at the Tate Modern amongst other greats, I was over the moon!
It must be hard to choose, but is there a home tour or interview that stood out for you?
Picking just one is tough because every home was uniquely fascinating. Even if a style wasn’t my personal taste, I loved seeing the passion and personality each homeowner put into it. One standout was Robert Rafalat's home. He teamed up with designer Rhonda Drakeford to create a totally unique space with floor-to-ceiling colour blocking. It was bold, rebellious, and yet perfectly balanced with calming plaster elements—totally unforgettable!
Many people are colour curious and appreciate bold interiors but don't have the confidence to really go for it in their own home. What would your top tip for them be?
Start small and keep it fun! Don’t dive into painting a whole room right away. Instead, pick something manageable like an old stool, a door, or a window frame. Experimenting with a small element can build your confidence and make you eager for bigger projects. Remember, confidence in colour choices grows over time, so go easy on yourself. I created my ‘Colour Your Home With Confidence’ online course to help people build that confidence step by step, making bold decisions a breeze.
Can you tell us a bit about your colour consultations, what does the process involve?
Colour consultations are my absolute favourite! I offer them as a remote service, starting with an initial call where I ask clients to share visuals of their space. My goal is to understand their aspirations and personality and reflect that beautifully in their home.
After our chat, I provide mood boards and paint colour selections, detailing where to apply them. I also assist during the paint sampling stage to ensure everything clicks perfectly before the final purchase. There’s nothing I love more than seeing the finished results from my clients!
Last year you moved from London to Mallorca. Have you noticed any difference in people's approach to colour between the two places?
Mallorca's nature is a riot of colour, especially in spring when the flowers explode in bloom—it's pure magic! But people here tend to keep their walls white. They seem a bit hesitant to go bold, opting instead to introduce colour through textiles and accessories. I think there’s a nervousness that big natural sunshine will make bolder colours feel too vibrant.
Light is a big deal in colour decisions, it’s important to get to know your space, how the light changes throughout the day and which colours will enhance or fall flat. I’m excited to show people on the island how vibrant hues can transform their homes.
What are you working on at the moment and where can we find you online?
I’m still busy with remote colour consultations, my online course, and promoting the book. But I’ve got another exciting project in the pipeline—it’s interiors related but with a fun twist. Stay tuned for more details! You can find me at www.homemilk.co.uk or drop me a DM on Instagram. Let’s chat!
