Colour, colour, colour!
Are you battling over which colour to paint your home?
Do you have a patchwork of painted rectangles on your living
room or bedroom wall, displaying attempts to select the perfect colour?
… and along with this, to add pressure to your task, do you think you will
have that colour ready for your decorator who is arriving this coming Monday morning?
If the answer to the first question is ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ to the second, then we need to talk.
No worries, kick back, relax, and grab yourself a glass of wine or cup of coffee, depending on the time of day of course - I don’t want to be responsible for any random choices! Tell yourself, it’s not rocket science, and we are just choosing a colour here after all. This decision can be reached in minutes believe me.
Think back to my first blog advice, ‘Where do I find interior design ideas?’, and recall: how do you want to feel in this room, the mood and feeling. And how do you see the outcome, calm or exhilarating. Think of first memories, first house, first holidays, colours you loved or had an impact on you. Also be inspired by items around you such as artwork or nature; you may be near the sea or near woodland. These are all colours to draw from.
It will be easy to decide which colours you really do like and which you really don’t and, from my experience, you are probably going to be choosing a more conservative colour over a bolder one, so neutrals such as Yorkshire Fog, Chestnut Candle and White Sedge from paint by Conran are all wonderful choices.See below.
paints from a selection Paint by Conran
If you are more conservative and really stuck, then you will never go far wrong with the advice of choosing a neutral background of cotton, off-whites or greys. This may seem like an easy way out, but these are perfect backdrops for introducing punches of colour in more mobile items such as furniture, curtains and accessories.
If you aim to dip your toes and be bolder, then start out with changing smaller areas such as bathrooms or an accent wall; this way you can become accustomed to the idea of more colour. Be careful to note lighting levels, as paint hues change drastically with more saturated (deeper) colours.
Next, buy samples by all means, but limit this to three choices, and also paint each one on an A4 piece of card. This way you can move them around the room as the light changes throughout the day. It is important not to take colour at face value from a paint card; no matter how attractive and perfect it may seem it will always be different when applied to the wall.
If you are really stuck then you could try this app visualizer from Dulux.
You can take a picture of a room, see it in real time with your chosen colour
and, who knows, it could help you reach a decision!
Let me know how you get on and please feel free to comment or ask me questions.