Paint colour hints and tips

Paint Colour Hints and Tips

I always get asked how do I choose the correct paint colours for my home. Painting is a great, cost-effective way to refresh your home. Before you get started, it's important to do some research to help you get the best result. 

1. Choose your colour scheme

Think about how colour schemes flow from room to room in your house or apartment. Then consider your new colour scheme next to key pieces of furniture, like your couch or wall unit. 

2. Look for a focal point

Select a focal point in your room, such as a clock, couch or rug, and base your colour palette around it. That way you’ve got a key item to bring the look together. Alternatively, you can choose a mood you’d like to create and pick colours that inspire that feeling. A shade of green for example may evoke a natural and cooling effect on a space, while yellow can emulate sunshine and warmth.

3. The 60-30-10 rule 

Remember the 60-30-10 rule for interior spaces. It's where 60% of the room is decorated in a dominant colour, 30% in a secondary hue and 10% dedicated to an accent colour. This rule helps you balance your colour choices and won't leave you with overpowering or mismatched walls. 

Remember paint always appear alittle darker than the sample card. The same colour will also appear lighter on exteriors and darker on interiors. Dark colours will make the room look smaller, lighter will make the room feel bigger. 

4. Building a new house

For my build I have chosen Taubman Stonebridge. I originally chose 3 colours and got a sample pots of each. I painted 3 coats onto a panel of gyprock and compared the panels in different lights around the house. I also held them up to my existing bedding and furniture. I didn't do this during my first build and it was a mistake. The paint colour was chosen on the spot from the sample card. When the walls were painted I was horrified that my beautiful beige colour threw a green tone (Taubmans- Still white). To make it worse my husband couldn't see it. it annoyed me especially when guests pointed it out. I was not going to make the same mistake again. 

We chose the darker of the three. We did this because the light beige wall colour got lost in our last house, so we wanted a bit more personality into the house. When you build with Beechwood the builder charges you a fee for every additional colour you use. We decided to use one colour through the whole house and I will go through with feature walls or wall paper when we move in. 

Adding colour and personality to a house is so easy and simple with the right paint colour. Look at trends but use the colours you love because you have to live with it everyday. Do your research and plan well for a flawless result.