Tips for Choosing the Right Paint Colour
The “buzz” about colour is usually called “colour psychology.” But the effects of colour are subtle and significant; physical and psychological. Wherever we go, we respond to colour, but the importance of colour is often underestimated. Colour use is important to us personally in our homes, in the places where we work and in everywhere.
In this article, we will provide the tips you must pay attention to before you choosing a particular colour. You should also be careful by following it and avoiding some mistakes as well
Start Small
If you’re not sure where to begin with colour, experiment in a bathroom, a small hall or area between rooms, or an accent wall. If you’re doing your own painting, pick an area that is quick to do, so you can see your results sooner, and be happy with it or change it. Look at the process as an adventure.
To get started, select a favourite colour drawn from an artwork, a rug, dishes and an accessory or furniture piece as a main colour or accent
Think About Your Mood
When selecting a colour, consider the mood of a room. In a bedroom do you want the feeling to be restful and soothing or dramatic and intimate? Soft, cool and neutral colours usually create a quieter feeling as opposed to stronger colours which are for drama.
Do you want a dining area to feel sociable and stimulating or appear formal and quiet? Warmer, contrasting and somewhat brighter colours add to a sociable atmosphere; deeper blue-greens and neutral ones will give a more formal ambience.
Do you want kid’s rooms to create an active and exciting energy or an orderly and restful feeling? Be careful not to overstimulate your children with intensely bright hues. You may not know it, but some brighter colours can lead to unrest and irritability.
Pay Attention to Lighting
The reason why paint stores have light boxes for you to test paint chips:
- Natural daylight shows the truest colour;
- Incandescent lighting brings out warm tones and yellows;
- Fluorescent lighting casts a sharp blue tone.
If you want a more active space, consider introducing stronger, more intense colour. Even if you want a light-coloured room, choose colours that are slightly more saturated than off-white or light pastel. Very light colour can feel bright and stark when it appears on all surfaces in a room. However, two or more medium-light, closely related pastel colours can create a luminous effect when used in the same room.
So, a strong colour might be too bright and overpowering when used on all walls or next to a large window, but it might be effective when used as an accent wall with indirect light.
Test Your Colour Choice
Boost your confidence by testing colours on poster board or large areas of a wall. Don’t be afraid to go beyond your comfort zone: Consider strong, vivid colours or soft, deep neutrals like chocolate brown or olive green as main or accent colours. Or add drama with a stronger colour on the ceiling. Tinted ceilings can dramatically change the whole look of a room.
Choose Different Paint Finishes
A single colour used on walls and trim takes on new significance when applied in different finishes. For example, wall and trim colours can remain the same hue but use an eggshell (matte and less reflective) finish on walls and a satin or semi-gloss on the trim. The colour will appear slightly different on each surface. It is a good way to create a cohesive look in rooms with many windows and doors, and relatively little wall area.
Some mistakes you should avoid and how to correct it
Picking Your Paint Colour First
“It is one of the last things I pick because I wait to see what all of the fabrics and other elements in the space are. If you pick the paint colour first, you can really pin yourself in a corner as far as finding the right things to match.”
Correct It: Get the room planned and then select the paint to support all of the other things going on in your space. You can take your colour cues from fabrics, whether it is accented pillows or an occasional chair that has a pattern or print to it. That is usually my jumping off point for selecting a colour for space.
Picking A Colour That’s Too Bright or Saturated:
A bright cobalt blue, which is really trendy right now, can look great as a ceramic lamp. This is because it has a sheen to it, or as a silk pillow, because it has depth or interest, but when you put that same really bright colour on the wall, it is a whole lot stronger. Lighter, muddy colours (meaning they have more grey or black mixed in with them) work better than a really bright strong hue.”
Correct It: If the walls are going to scream a bright colour, you want to wrap the rest of your furnishings in neutral tones or even white. Decide what your focal point is. If it is the wall colour, then let everything else support it, not fight it.
Not Considering the Home as A Whole
Even if it’s a small apartment, transitioning colour from one room to the next can be tricky. Hence, it doesn’t flow well if you’ve got a bright orange in one room and bright pink in another.”
Correct It: Use other things to bring the spaces together.