Colour is a highly subjective choice. Just because one person loves bright colours, it doesn’t stand to reason that another will feel comfortable with bright orange walls and purple furniture. Ultimately, you have to pick the colours you can live with, but with so many colours to choose from, it isn’t always a straightforward choice. So if you are contemplating doing a spot of decorating, here are a few hints and tips to help you decide upon the right interior colour scheme for your home.
Do Some Research
Interior design magazines and paint catalogues are an excellent place to begin if you don’t have a clue about what you like in terms of colour schemes. It is usually very inspiring to flick through the pages of a glossy magazine and see what the current trends are. It may be that you see nothing you like, but at least you will know what to avoid. If you do spot a colour scheme you love, tear out the page and keep it for inspiration.
Test Colour Choices
New homes are essentially a blank canvas. This might sound ideal, but when you have no furniture or existing flooring to ground you, it is surprisingly difficult to know where to begin when choosing a suitable colour scheme. Changing an existing colour scheme is a bit easier in the sense that you will probably need to tie it in to furniture or floor coverings, which will narrow your choices somewhat.
Either way, it is a good idea to test your choices before you go too mad with a paint roller or splash out on umpteen rolls of designer wallpaper. Clip wallpaper samples and buy some paint test pots. See how the colours react in the room and whether they work in different lighting conditions.
Colour Match Your Personality
What type of person are you? Do you prefer your home to be an oasis of calm or party central? Personality type often drives the interior design choices we make in our homes, so have a good think about the atmosphere you want to create and if you prefer soothing colours, walk away from the tin of crimson red paint.
Lighting Choices
Lighting has a huge impact on colour. Dark colours can look fabulous in a well-lit room, but a small room with very little natural lighting will probably feel claustrophobic if you paint it in a dark colour. Before you decide on a colour scheme, consider how much natural light there is and how the light changes throughout the day.
Use Accent Colours
One way to play it safe if you are not sure what colour scheme to go for is to stick to a neutral palette of whites, beiges, and greys, but introduce colour in the form of accents here and there. For example, choose a neutral decorative scheme with green as your accent colour and throw in cushions, a rug, and curtains in different shades of green. This could be the perfect look for an open plan living-dining room.
Always remember that if you are decorating with a view to selling the property, it is usually safer to stick to neutral colour schemes to avoid putting off potential buyers.