How to choose a colour scheme
Choosing paint colours in your home can be a minefield, where do you even start? I have pulled together my top tips for creating a colour scheme in your home, so if you don’t know if you want a neutral or a dark, or a pop of colour or a bright, take a look below!
If you really don’t know where to start, choose one of your favourite items in your home and take your colours from that. It might be a cushion, a throw, or even a vase or a piece of art. Now you have a few colours you like, you can go to the paint shop and collect some testers. Ideally you would use one of the colours on the wall and the rest as accent colours in furniture and soft furnishings.
(Top Tip!! When you are looking at the paint chips in store, make sure you are looking at the middle of the chip, the bottom will have the darker shade of the colour and the top will have the lighter. If you are just looking at the top they will all very quickly start looking the same! If you like the shade in the middle, then you will like the lighter shade of it too!).
Photo: Francesca Harris Design
Photo: Francesca Harris Design
When you are choosing your colour, be mindful of how it will make you feel and whether that is what you are after. For example if you are looking to make a room feel relaxed and calm, you may want to stay away from bright colours. Similarly if you are decorating a family room and want it to feel lively and happy, you may want to go with a brighter palette.
If you are keen to go with a white, make sure that you know what type of white you want. Do you want it to feel cooler, with undertones of grey, or warmer with undertones of yellow? You will also want to bear in mind how much light you get into your space and at what time of the day, to know whether you want to lighten and warm it up, or if you can get away with cooling it down.
Once you have chosen your colour you will need to think about the type of paint you need. Do you need it to be highly scrubbable like a satin, or would you prefer matt? Traditionally you would have a gloss on the woodwork and trims and a satin on the walls, but these days there are so many more options, so try and work out what functionally you need for the space you are creating.
If all of this seems like a bit too much, then go and take a look at my ready to go colour schemes! It will take you through how to choose paint based on the direction the room faces and give you the exact colour names / numbers from well known brands. It also gives you specific colour schemes, so if you want a pop of colour, it tells you which ones are my go-to colours and which neutrals are my go-to’s to compliment bolder colours. These are the colours I have in my own home and that I recommend to my clients all the time! Get the insider knowledge and already be one step ahead! Take a look here!
