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YesColours share their research into sustainable paints with aspiring interior designers
Wednesday, 8 May, 2024 — Arts University Plymouth students learn from eco-friendly paint experts
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-interior-design">BA (Hons) Interior Design & Styling</a> students at Arts University Plymouth have been learning from an industry guest lecture by the founders of <a href="https://yescolours.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YesColours</a>, an eco-friendly paints company with a focus on promoting wellness and sustainability through their range of low-VOC colourful paints.</p>
<p dir="ltr">John Stubbs, the Founder and CEO of YesColours, and Emma Bestley, YesColours Co-Founder and Creative Director, visited Arts University Plymouth and spent the day with <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-interior-design">BA (Hons) Interior Design & Styling</a> and <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/ba-hons-textile-design">BA (Hons) Textile Design</a> students, delivering a guest lecture about setting up YesColours, before leading a series of hands-on workshops with students.<br /></p>
Emma Bestley, Co-Founder and Creative Director of YesColours
<p dir="ltr">Emma Bestley said: “Witnessing the students from different year groups come together to discuss colour and styling with such enthusiasm was truly enjoyable for us. I must say, in all our time at YesColours, we've never had such an exciting Q&A session, with some thought provoking questions that still are making us think to this day. The opportunity to collaborate with them as they mixed their own paint colours and participated in the styling workshops was incredibly rewarding. We were impressed by their creativity and passion, and we left feeling inspired by the next generation of design professionals!”<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">During the day of activities, groups of students worked together across year groups to talk about colour and styling with visiting industry experts, mix their own paint colours and then participate in a styling workshop to create promotional imagery to add to their professional portfolios.<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/ally-turner">Ally Turner</a>, Joint Course Leader for BA (Hons) Interior Design & Styling, said: “YesColours is an exceptional brand that takes sustainability seriously and is revolutionising the world of paint. Our partnership with Emma and John was an honour and our students were thrilled to learn from such trailblazers of the interior design industry. The experience was amazing and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with YesColours.”<br /></p>
John Stubbs, Founder and CEO of YesColours
<p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/people/cathryn-bishop">Cathryn Bishop</a>, Joint Course Leader for BA (Hons) Interior Design & Styling, said: “Emma and John’s enthusiasm and energy was brilliant. Their presentation about how they set up YesColours was invaluable for students and gave us so much to think about. Their styling workshop and advice on colour styling was eye-opening for the students, who got so much from their visit.”<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">BA (Hons) Interior Design & Styling student <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cge.interiors">Caitlin Evans</a> said: “The talk from YesColours was so insightful. The construction industry is responsible for approx 37% of global emissions, so as designers we are constantly trying to reduce this and be as sustainable as possible. Hearing John and Emma talk about their environmental ethos was inspiring. Going forward, I would like to use them in my practice and we’re already planning to use YesColours in our Graduate Shows.”<br /></p>
<p dir="ltr">BA (Hons) Interior Design & Styling student Megan Blackwell said: “Learning about YesColours, I saw firsthand that the packaging really makes the product stand out. Their containers make the paint so easy to see and are much better for the environment than traditional paint cans. You can also return leftover paint and it can be recycled, which reduces so much waste. I also really enjoyed the styling workshop, which was great for working with bright colours and experimenting with the use of contrasting colours to create impactful imagery.”<br /></p>
