The ultimate guide to picking colours for your home.
You don’t have to be a pro DIYer to give your home the ultimate makeover. To be fair, in most cases it just comes down to adding a bit of colour. However, picking colours for your home interior can be an overwhelming task if you don’t know where to start.
At Crockers our motto is that we're the place to colour your world because that's what we do best! In this article, we’ve created a guide to picking colours for your home that makes the process fun and simple.
When it comes to colour selection, the most important thing to remember is that colour choices are subjective, you don’t necessarily have to follow theories of design or what's on trend. The key is to choose a colour palette which embraces you when you walk through the door.
Colour has the ability to shape the space we are in. It can make us feel excited, calm, energised and everything in between. The following tips will guide you through the steps required to help you choose a colour scheme that revitalises your home and reflects your personality perfectly.
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR INTERIOR COLOUR SCHEME
We know it can be hard, but you want to resist the temptation to select your paint colour first. It’s best to start your search with room elements that are less flexible, such as furniture, tiles, or wallpaper and then based on those you can choose your paint colours. Here are some ideas on how to narrow down picking colours for your home.
Find inspiration for your colour scheme
An easy way to create a colour scheme is to find an image or item you love. With the internet, this job is made ten times easier! Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration. Once you’ve found something, you want to take note of the shades within the design, especially the proportions of each shade to recreate a similar colour scheme in your home.
Consider colour value
A colour value refers to the relative lightness or darkness of a colour. A balanced colour scheme will aim to incorporate one dark colour, one light colour and one bright colour in each room. By having a mix of different colour values, you avoid picking hues that clash with each other.
Plan your home’s colour scheme
Your home is a combination of all the rooms and spaces, so when picking colour for each room you need to consider how it will look overall within your home. It helps to draw a plan of your home and list what will be in each room, such as the carpet, wall colours, and furniture.
At Crockers we like to suggest that you come in and grab a few sample pots, but instead of painting little patches on your walls, painting a large piece of cardboard works much better. It is difficult to get a good visual of how a colour will work in a space when it's a tiny square.
When planning your colour scheme, you want to consider how one room will flow into the next. A great way to do this is by using one colour in different proportions in all rooms, such as a wall colour in one room and an accent colour in another room.
Feather design wallpaper paired with deep ochre and ash hues.
Consider how light affects colours
Remember that colour is a reflection of light so when picking colour for your home you need to consider how light will affect it. You will need to observe the lighting in a room throughout the day and into the evening to gather an accurate picture of what colours will work best in the space.
A room’s truest colours are found in daylight, and this is because it has nearly uniform intensity over the entire visible spectrum of colours. A room with only northern exposure will receive less daylight than other rooms and therefore a warm colour palette will help soften shadows in this space.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF COLOUR SCHEMES
While there are several kinds of colour palettes that you can use to create your own colour scheme, these four main types rule them all. So, let’s have a look at them.
Modern striped wallpaper terracotta paired with mustard, chocolate and blush tones.
Monochromatic
If you like things plain and simple, then a monochromatic colour scheme could be the one for you. This palette consists of the same colour in different shades and tones. It’s nearly impossible to mess up with monochromatics because you’re dealing with the same hue, however keep in mind that it can become plain and boring.
Complementary colours
If you’re wanting to create balance, then complementary colours would suit you. This palette consists of opposite colours on the colour wheel. For instance, green and red. Easy on the eyes for viewers because, well the colours compliment one another! This can help draw attention to the space.
Triadic or contrast
If you’re wanting to create a wow factor in your home, then opt for a triadic or contrast palette. This colour palette creates vibrancy, however it is important to keep in mind you’d have to do a lot of experimentation to get the right colours together.
Analogous
Analogous is fun but a very straightforward colour palette. It consists of picking a primary colour (red, yellow and blue) and the hues around it on the colour wheel. To maintain balance with this colour scheme, choose one dominant colour and make the others accents.
ADDING COLOUR TO GIVE YOUR HOME THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER
When picking colour, you want to ensure you select what will achieve the look and feel you’re after. Whether you’re leaning more towards soft, neutral tones to add a feeling of comfort, or bright and vivid shades to inject some vibrancy, Crockers is here to help you get the job done!
With a large range of wallpapers, everything from bold feature designs to subtle accent patterns we’ll have something that feels like home to you.
Nerida is our specialist colour consultant and principal visual merchandiser which means she has her finger on the pulse of all things interior design!
Sometimes all you need is another eye to help bring your vision to life. Book a complimentary Crockers consultation with Nerida today and she’ll walk you through the best design options to suit your space.