How to Choose Your Perfect Paint Colours
Three USA designers share tips to pinpoint your style and mine memories to find the right paint palette for your home
Putting a new paint colour on the walls is one of the quickest and most cost-effective ways to transform a room. But where do you start if you haven’t already picked out a colour? An interior designer or colour consultant can help you hone in on the general scheme you want, such as yellow, grey, white or green. A pro can also advise you on the specific paint colour to choose.
But before you commit, it’s worth considering which colours you truly love. We interviewed three interior designers for their best tips on how to identify these colours. Their practical suggestions will have you feeling more colour-confident in no time.
But before you commit, it’s worth considering which colours you truly love. We interviewed three interior designers for their best tips on how to identify these colours. Their practical suggestions will have you feeling more colour-confident in no time.
Browsing your wardrobe can also help you come up with ideas for accent colours. For instance, if you tend to wear a lot of blue and often pair it with khaki, tan leather shoes and silver jewellery, perhaps those colours could be a theme for your home. You could translate that theme to your living room with blue walls, soft leather furnishings, and grey (or silver) for other accents, such as the rug and cushions, as shown in this living room by Jen Samson Design in California, USA.
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Unearth your happy memories
Porter holds colour workshops in which she gives a questionnaire about personal associations with particular palettes. “What colour was your room growing up?” she asks. “What colour makes you the happiest?”
Inspiration can come from anywhere. “Maybe your grandmother’s kitchen was yellow, and you have great memories of travelling with her. Maybe you saw this great shade of blue when you were travelling in the Caribbean, and it calms you,” she says.
If no colours come to mind from your memories, try getting out a photo book from one of your favourite trips and seeing if any hues speak to you. As you go about your day or visit restaurants, shops and even other people’s homes, pay attention to which colours you’re most drawn to.
Need expert help devising a colour scheme for your home? Find an interior decorator near you on Houzz
Porter holds colour workshops in which she gives a questionnaire about personal associations with particular palettes. “What colour was your room growing up?” she asks. “What colour makes you the happiest?”
Inspiration can come from anywhere. “Maybe your grandmother’s kitchen was yellow, and you have great memories of travelling with her. Maybe you saw this great shade of blue when you were travelling in the Caribbean, and it calms you,” she says.
If no colours come to mind from your memories, try getting out a photo book from one of your favourite trips and seeing if any hues speak to you. As you go about your day or visit restaurants, shops and even other people’s homes, pay attention to which colours you’re most drawn to.
Need expert help devising a colour scheme for your home? Find an interior decorator near you on Houzz
There are no real rules about colour, says Porter. One of her clients painted her bedroom a bright red – generally considered to be an invigorating rather than a soothing colour. While red may cause many people to feel alert when it’s time to sleep, “it was very calming to her,” she says. “You really have to know what moves you and not be influenced by what other people like and what other people say.”
Envision the feeling you want
Say you’ve decided to paint your room blue. How do you narrow down which blue? It can be helpful to think about the feeling you want to create in a space, says Wardlaw. If you’re seeking a cosier feel, choose a blue on the darker end. If you’re going for a more serene vibe, a lighter, perhaps sea blue may be better.
As you’re drawn to shades of blue, pay attention to whether you prefer blues that tend towards lavender, green or pure hues. Knowing the undertones of the shade you’re selecting is useful for coordinating your trims and accessories. A good designer will be able to identify these undertones and help you select a paint that works with your furnishings.
Browse more beautiful Australian bedrooms in blue
Say you’ve decided to paint your room blue. How do you narrow down which blue? It can be helpful to think about the feeling you want to create in a space, says Wardlaw. If you’re seeking a cosier feel, choose a blue on the darker end. If you’re going for a more serene vibe, a lighter, perhaps sea blue may be better.
As you’re drawn to shades of blue, pay attention to whether you prefer blues that tend towards lavender, green or pure hues. Knowing the undertones of the shade you’re selecting is useful for coordinating your trims and accessories. A good designer will be able to identify these undertones and help you select a paint that works with your furnishings.
Browse more beautiful Australian bedrooms in blue
You’ll also want to keep in mind whether your paint colour should have cool or warm undertones – and again, a designer can be invaluable in helping you identify these subtleties. If you’re starting from a blank slate, a cool grey or a warm grey might suit you equally. But if you already have furniture and accessories in warmer hues, you may want to choose a warmer tone that complements what you already have.
Seek inspiration
Browse photos on Houzz for general colour and style ideas, and “tone and value inspiration – meaning light or dark or medium,” says designer Carl Mattison Carl Mattison Design in Atlanta, USA. But keep in mind that the way colours read on your computer screen or mobile device probably won’t be the way they read in your interior, where they’ll be affected by the amount of light and even the landscaping that the light is coming through.
If you fall in love with a colour online, go out and select a swatch and bring it home before committing. Even colour cards from your local paint store won’t be exactly how the paint colour will appear, so it’s important that you actually test out the paint on your walls (see below).
Browse photos on Houzz for general colour and style ideas, and “tone and value inspiration – meaning light or dark or medium,” says designer Carl Mattison Carl Mattison Design in Atlanta, USA. But keep in mind that the way colours read on your computer screen or mobile device probably won’t be the way they read in your interior, where they’ll be affected by the amount of light and even the landscaping that the light is coming through.
If you fall in love with a colour online, go out and select a swatch and bring it home before committing. Even colour cards from your local paint store won’t be exactly how the paint colour will appear, so it’s important that you actually test out the paint on your walls (see below).
Tip: As you’re browsing Houzz for inspiration, look for rooms that are similar in size, shape and lighting to the one that you’ll be painting; that way, the effect will be more similar.
Narrow down your options to no more than four colours
Once you’ve settled on a general colour, your decorator or interior designer can save you a lot of time by suggesting a few excellent paint colour choices and helping you choose the best option among them. However, if you like to be more involved in the selection process, you might head to the paint store and pick out several swatches and bring them home. Then it’s time to winnow them down.
“Say you come home with eight shades of blue,” says Porter. “Lay all the swatches out and compare them to each other. You will start to see the subtle differences between each colour. Some of the blues lean toward green or aqua. Some are a denim shade. Some have a funky undertone that you just don’t like at all.”
Once you’ve settled on a general colour, your decorator or interior designer can save you a lot of time by suggesting a few excellent paint colour choices and helping you choose the best option among them. However, if you like to be more involved in the selection process, you might head to the paint store and pick out several swatches and bring them home. Then it’s time to winnow them down.
“Say you come home with eight shades of blue,” says Porter. “Lay all the swatches out and compare them to each other. You will start to see the subtle differences between each colour. Some of the blues lean toward green or aqua. Some are a denim shade. Some have a funky undertone that you just don’t like at all.”
Narrow down the options to three or four colours. You can tack the colour swatches to the wall of the room you’ll be painting, or use a sheet of paper as a neutral background. Keep in mind as you make your comparisons that the paint chips will appear a bit darker on a light background, and lighter on a dark background, says Porter. “Often, after comparing the paint chips to each other, it will be pretty clear which colour is going to work,” she says.
If you still aren’t comfortable with the colour options, you could consider taking away all but one option and looking at each colour individually. Also, this may sound obvious, but it’s easy to forget: as you assess colours, consider how each option will look with the elements of your room already in place (especially features you’re not willing to change, such as your flooring or joinery).
If you still aren’t comfortable with the colour options, you could consider taking away all but one option and looking at each colour individually. Also, this may sound obvious, but it’s easy to forget: as you assess colours, consider how each option will look with the elements of your room already in place (especially features you’re not willing to change, such as your flooring or joinery).
Put paint samples right on the wall
Once you’ve chosen your three or four final colours, it’s time to test them. All three of our experts agree: tt’s better to paint directly onto your walls and not onto a sample board that can be held against your walls. This is not just because it’s more economical. Wardlaw advises people to paint on all four walls in patches of at least 30 square centimetres. “You paint on the wall because that’s exactly where it’s going. You’re painting over a previous colour. I feel a board doesn’t saturate in the same way,” he says.
Mattison recommends painting an even larger area – at least 90 square centimetres – for each sample colour.
Porter advises placing the paint samples side-by-side on the wall. “They should still be lined up because one would still need to compare and choose based on the process of elimination,” she says. Again, if this is overwhelming for your eye, you could consider looking at them apart.
Once you’ve chosen your three or four final colours, it’s time to test them. All three of our experts agree: tt’s better to paint directly onto your walls and not onto a sample board that can be held against your walls. This is not just because it’s more economical. Wardlaw advises people to paint on all four walls in patches of at least 30 square centimetres. “You paint on the wall because that’s exactly where it’s going. You’re painting over a previous colour. I feel a board doesn’t saturate in the same way,” he says.
Mattison recommends painting an even larger area – at least 90 square centimetres – for each sample colour.
Porter advises placing the paint samples side-by-side on the wall. “They should still be lined up because one would still need to compare and choose based on the process of elimination,” she says. Again, if this is overwhelming for your eye, you could consider looking at them apart.
It’s also important to make sure the sample you purchase has the finish that you’re planning to use (matt, eggshell, satin, high gloss) because that can also change the way a colour reads. Many stores sell sample-size paint cans only in the matt finish. You may want to consider buying a full can to get the true effect if selecting a different paint finish.
Look at the samples on the wall at various times of day, and try different types of lighting (various wattages) to see how that may change the colours. Live with the colours for a few days. When a clear winner emerges, you’re ready to hire a painter.
Your turn
Do you have a favourite shade for your walls, trims, joinery or home? Tell us in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, save the images for inspiration and join the conversation.
More
Check out this story for your next dose of colourful design: Love Colour? See the Shortlisted Homes in Dulux’s Colour Awards
Look at the samples on the wall at various times of day, and try different types of lighting (various wattages) to see how that may change the colours. Live with the colours for a few days. When a clear winner emerges, you’re ready to hire a painter.
Your turn
Do you have a favourite shade for your walls, trims, joinery or home? Tell us in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, save the images for inspiration and join the conversation.
More
Check out this story for your next dose of colourful design: Love Colour? See the Shortlisted Homes in Dulux’s Colour Awards
Whatever you do, don’t just head straight to the paint store to browse through the paint swatches, or you risk being majorly overwhelmed. Of course, if you’ve already done this, you’re not alone.
“People will actually hire a painter without knowing what colours they want to use yet,” says Kelly Porter, an interior designer based in Washington, USA. “Even before you go to the paint store, you really want to narrow down the colours. Even before you pick up the swatches.”
But how do you narrow down a colour in the first place? Designer Keith Wardlaw of Plus Modern Design in Kansas City, USA, suggests examining your wardrobe. “I tell clients, number one, to look in their closet and see what colours they wear often,” he says. “They’re going to gravitate toward certain colours that look [good] on them. Obviously, what better way to look great in the interior than if you paint what you look great in?”