Whether you’re moving into a new home or have decided it’s time to redecorate and freshen up your existing home, bedroom, or change colour in your bathroom, choosing the colour you’re going to paint your walls to do this, needs to be properly considered before you add that first lick of paint. The colour of the walls will be the basis of every other item in that room; whether it’s furniture or other general knickknacks and therefore, must match and compliment the dynamics of the space. Here’s a few points to keep in mind before you choose your wall paint.
Watch out for colours that are too bright/saturated- Many of us like bright colours; they lighten our mood and add personality and vivacity to the atmosphere. But such colours like cobalt blue, cyan and neon green aren’t always the best option to be plastered on our walls. These hues don’t work as well in vast spaces as they do as subtle splashes in our decoration; like on a pillow case or lamp shade. If you do intend on painting a bright colour on your walls though, opt for lighter shades or muddier colours (shades with black or grey tones) to avoid walls that are unpleasantly over-saturated.
Think about the home as a whole- For those of us that love colour, it can be very tempting to want to paint every room in the house a different shade. But a home where every room consists of contrasting colours, is a decoration faux pas to say the least! When choosing the colour for different rooms, think about the house as a whole and colours that suit and reflect all the other rooms in the house.
Your favourite colour doesn’t always look good on the walls- Our favourite colour might be pink, purple or yellow, but that doesn’t mean we have to paint it on our walls. Be sensible in your decision to paint your walls and think about the purpose of the room you’re painting the wall in. If you’re painting your bedroom for example, you’re presumably hoping for a serene setting and place you want to feel as relaxed as possible. So colours like blue and green, lilac or soft oranges are the best shades for this room. Whereas your kitchen, the place that’s usually full of social interactions and sensory livelihood can be painted vibrant colours like a canary yellow or lime green to suit the mood of the room.
How does it affect the lighting? Lighting affects the way our eyes perceive different colours. In other words, the notion of metamerism; the concept that colours seem to change under different light conditions. Therefore, when considering what colour to paint your room, you should think about the amount of natural light that reaches the room as this provides a neutral balance between warm and cool ends of the light spectrum. Artificial light also affects the way colours are presented. Incandescent or halogen lights work at enhancing reds and yellows, but mute blues and greens. Thus the colour of your walls should be considered by the amount of natural and artificial light that’s spilling into the room.
Does it compliment the flooring? The flooring is the second largest surface in the room after the walls themselves. Therefore, it really is vital that before choosing your paint colour, you’re sure that it matches or compliments the floor colour. Wooden floors are undoubtedly the most popular flooring choice today. But there are a variety of different shades of wood like ebony, honey or chestnut. And carpets are an even bigger consideration when getting this colour collaboration right. So ensure that the shade you choose for the walls, works well with the colour on your flooring. Hold the paint samples next to the floor and see for yourself how the colours work together.
Watch out for colours that are too bright/saturated- Many of us like bright colours; they lighten our mood and add personality and vivacity to the atmosphere. But such colours like cobalt blue, cyan and neon green aren’t always the best option to be plastered on our walls. These hues don’t work as well in vast spaces as they do as subtle splashes in our decoration; like on a pillow case or lamp shade. If you do intend on painting a bright colour on your walls though, opt for lighter shades or muddier colours (shades with black or grey tones) to avoid walls that are unpleasantly over-saturated.
Think about the home as a whole- For those of us that love colour, it can be very tempting to want to paint every room in the house a different shade. But a home where every room consists of contrasting colours, is a decoration faux pas to say the least! When choosing the colour for different rooms, think about the house as a whole and colours that suit and reflect all the other rooms in the house.
Your favourite colour doesn’t always look good on the walls- Our favourite colour might be pink, purple or yellow, but that doesn’t mean we have to paint it on our walls. Be sensible in your decision to paint your walls and think about the purpose of the room you’re painting the wall in. If you’re painting your bedroom for example, you’re presumably hoping for a serene setting and place you want to feel as relaxed as possible. So colours like blue and green, lilac or soft oranges are the best shades for this room. Whereas your kitchen, the place that’s usually full of social interactions and sensory livelihood can be painted vibrant colours like a canary yellow or lime green to suit the mood of the room.
How does it affect the lighting? Lighting affects the way our eyes perceive different colours. In other words, the notion of metamerism; the concept that colours seem to change under different light conditions. Therefore, when considering what colour to paint your room, you should think about the amount of natural light that reaches the room as this provides a neutral balance between warm and cool ends of the light spectrum. Artificial light also affects the way colours are presented. Incandescent or halogen lights work at enhancing reds and yellows, but mute blues and greens. Thus the colour of your walls should be considered by the amount of natural and artificial light that’s spilling into the room.
Does it compliment the flooring? The flooring is the second largest surface in the room after the walls themselves. Therefore, it really is vital that before choosing your paint colour, you’re sure that it matches or compliments the floor colour. Wooden floors are undoubtedly the most popular flooring choice today. But there are a variety of different shades of wood like ebony, honey or chestnut. And carpets are an even bigger consideration when getting this colour collaboration right. So ensure that the shade you choose for the walls, works well with the colour on your flooring. Hold the paint samples next to the floor and see for yourself how the colours work together.
