How to Choose Paint Colours
The colours you choose to paint your home can have a profound impact on its ambiance, mood, and overall aesthetic.
From cosy and inviting to fresh and vibrant, the right paint colours can transform a space and make it uniquely yours. However, with an overwhelming array of paint options available, selecting the perfect hues can be a daunting task.
Let us help walk you through the art of choosing paint colours for your home and guide you towards creating a harmonious and inviting atmosphere that reflects your personal style.
Consider the Mood and Purpose
Before diving into colour swatches and paint samples, take a moment to reflect on the mood and purpose of each room in your home. Different spaces may require distinct colour schemes to achieve the desired atmosphere. Here are a few tips:
Bedrooms: For a tranquil and restful vibe, opt for soft and soothing colours such as pale blues, muted greens, or gentle shades of lavender. These hues promote relaxation and sleep and pair beautifully with neutral tones if you’re hesitant to bring in too much colour.
Living room: As the heart of your home, this is the perfect space to get a bit more creative. Consider your furnishings and décor, but generally, warm neutrals like beige, soft grey, or warm whites are versatile options that will stand the test of time. You can then add pops of colour through accent pieces like throw pillows and artwork, which can easily be swapped out later as trends, or your mood, changes.
Kitchen: Kitchens often benefit from bright, cheerful colours. Crisp whites, light greys, or pale yellows can make your kitchen feel spacious and inviting and make a lovely base for adding more colour with your tiles, splashback or even your benchtop if you wish.
Dining room: Dining rooms are great places to experiment with bolder colours. Deep blues, rich reds, or elegant greens can create a cosy and intimate atmosphere for sharing meals with loved ones.
Bathroom: Like bedrooms, bathrooms should exude calmness. Light pastels, soft pinks, or cool aquas can create a serene environment.
Home office: For productivity and focus, consider shades of blue or green. These colours are known for promoting concentration and creativity.
Embrace Neutrals as a Foundation
Neutrals, such as whites, greys, and beiges, are timeless choices that serve as excellent base colours for any room. They provide a clean canvas for your décor and furnishings and create a sense of spaciousness. However, not all neutrals are created equal…
Undertones: Neutrals can have undertones that lean warm or cool. Warm undertones, like beige or cream, create a cosy, inviting atmosphere, while cool undertones, such as grey or blue-grey, impart a modern and fresh look.
Natural light: The amount of natural light a room receives can affect how a neutral colour appears. Be sure to test paint samples in your space to see how they look in different lighting conditions.
Contrast: Neutrals can serve as a backdrop for bold accent colours or patterns. If you plan to incorporate vibrant colours or eye-catching patterns in your décor, neutral walls can balance the overall look.
Create Flow and Cohesion
To ensure a sense of cohesion throughout your home, consider how colours flow from room to room. While you don't need to use the same colour in every space, it's essential to create a harmonious transition. Here are some tips:
Colour families: Choose colours within the same colour family or with complementary undertones to maintain a cohesive feel. For example, if you use a soft blue in your living room, opt for a deeper shade of blue in an adjacent space.
Accents: Use accent colours to tie rooms together. Whether through textiles, artwork, or accessories, incorporating the same accent colours in different rooms can create a visual connection.
Transition spaces: Hallways and corridors often connect multiple rooms. Consider using a neutral colour in these spaces to allow other hues in your home to shine.
Test Paint Samples
Never underestimate the importance of testing paint samples before committing to a colour. What looks perfect in a tiny swatch can appear vastly different on your walls. Follow these steps:
Go shopping: Purchase small paint samples of your chosen colours and apply them to a small section of your wall. Observe how they look during different times of the day and in various lighting conditions.
Live with it: Leave the samples on your wall for a few days to get a sense of how you feel about the tones. You'll be surprised how different they can appear over time.
Consider finishes: Different paint finishes (such as matte, satin and semi-gloss) can affect how colours appear and their durability. Consider the practical aspects of the space when choosing the finish.
At The Interior Edit, we have Sample Packs available to purchase which have been expertly curated to work with each of our eight interior looks. Each sample pack not only contains paint swatch samples, but tile and flooring ideas too, so you can make sure you’ve got everything looking cohesive before you dive in.
Seek Inspiration
If you're feeling stuck or unsure about colour choices, don't hesitate to seek inspiration from various sources:
Design magazines and websites: Magazines such as Architectural Digest, Vogue Living and Apartamento, along with design websites (like this one!) offer a wealth of interior design inspiration. Browse through photos and articles to see what resonates with you.
Social media: Pinterest and Instagram are treasure troves of interior design ideas. Create mood boards, save anything you might want to refer back to later, and follow interior designers and decorators for inspiration.
Nature: Nature is an excellent source of colour inspiration. The colours of a serene beach, a lush forest, or a vibrant garden can provide ideas for your home's colour palette. Take photos when you’re out and about as use them as inspiration when selecting a palette or choosing how to accent a space.
Choosing the perfect paint colours for your home is a creative and rewarding process, so have fun with it and take your time. Paint colours can always be changed and updated as time goes on - nothing is permanent! Just trust your instincts and let your dream home evolve, one stroke of paint at a time.
All images sourced from Pinterest