10 things to consider when choosing paint colours

A new paint job is an easy and inexpensive way to transform a room, adding a sense of space and depth where it’s needed. But how do you go about picking a colour? Anyone who’s wandered through the aisles of paint swatches at Bunnings can attest to the overwhelming task of choosing just one. Ahead, a bit of pointed guidance to help you with your decision.

1. Look to the natural light

Consider the amount of natural light you get in the space. Sure, a dark shade will make for a dramatic feature wall, but without natural light, it’ll just end up looking grim and depressing.

2. Be wary of eye-popping brights

That eye-popping hue may have caught your attention in the glossy magazine, but consider the size of the space you’re working with. If it’s not big enough to carry it, bright shades can overwhelm, creating visual clashes. Remember, you can always introduce vibrant hues later through cushions, throws and artworks, or even painting splashy accents on woodwork and the insides of cupboards. Please find more options at https://open4u.co.uk/branches/bamp-supercentre.html

3. Conduct a preliminary test

Take a photo of the room you’re planning to paint. Then upload the picture into Photoshop and sub in the different colours, asking aesthetically minded friends and family for their opinions.

4. There’s also an app for that

Wish you could distil the colour of misty moorlands or the salmon-pink shoreline as the sun goes down? Thankfully, there are smartphone apps like Dulux Colour App, Color 911​ or Resene ColourMatch that allow you to snap a hue anywhere and then match it to the closest paint colour.

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5. Don’t rely on sample swatches

Always test the colour directly on the wall, to get a true sense of what it’ll look like. Leave it on the wall for a day or two and observe how the light plays with it, creating shadows at different times. For example, black paint has the reputation for looking dramatically different in certain lights – from green to blue to grey. Colours tend to come out darker on walls than they appear on paint chips, so if in doubt, err on the lighter side.

6. You can’t always trust your mental mood board

Your colour memory can play tricks on you, so take along some references when hitting the paint store. This can range from samples of textiles to a piece of clothing whose colour you love.

7. Avoid going too matchy-matchy

Furniture, floor coverings, paintings and rugs can serve as solid inspiration for what colour to choose, but avoid going too matchy-matchy. Colour co-ordinating can look boring and washed out. Choosing a shade much lighter or darker than the pre-existing elements of a room works much more effectively.

8. Whiter doesn’t always equal brighter

Custom dictates that small, dark rooms should be painted white to maximise the feeling of space. However, this doesn’t always work to lighten and brighten a space. If there’s little natural light to begin with, whitewashing a room can make it look even more dim, grey and depressing.

9. One room, two colours

A creative use of paint is to apply it in blocks of colours to mark different areas of a space. If you want to split the room using two different shades, ensure there’s some kind of architectural feature to make it a logical split.

10. Don’t get caught up in trends

Shudder at the thought of that splotchy sponge-painted wall trend popular in the ’90s? Don’t get caught up in the fads. Be daring, but follow your instincts and not the trends. That said, if you want to give your luxe boudoir ombre walls, who are we to stop you?