How To Choose A Paint Colour
Choosing a paint colour sounds simple - just select a colour you like and start painting. But there is actually much more to it than that, and working with an excellent interior designer can really pay off. Here, Irene Gunter lifts the lid on how to choose the perfect paint colour.
Location, location, location
One of the most challenging aspects of decorating is understanding how paint colours respond. Both natural and artificial light can significantly affect how colours appear. Before choosing a shade, determine whether your room faces north, east, south, or west. The natural light that enters through your windows based on the room's orientation is crucial and will change throughout the day. Additionally, the artificial lights already in the room will also affect the colour.
Rooms facing north will have cool and less natural light, which will bring out cooler tones in the paint. Therefore, avoid using cool colours as they can make the room feel cold and unwelcoming. To determine cool colours, refer to a colour wheel - cool colours are located on one side of the wheel, while warm colours are on the other. I recommend considering yellow-based colours, which will help light bounce around the room and enhance the effects of cooler natural light.
Another idea is to embrace the darkness of a north-facing room. Instead of shying away from the darker mood of such rooms, use darker wall colours to create a cosy atmosphere. Navy blue and deep green paint colours are good choices, as they instantly add a warm feel and invite you to spend more time in the room.
When choosing a paint colour for a west or east-facing room, it's important to consider when you use the space the most. This will impact the light in the room and, subsequently, the colour you should opt for. West-facing rooms have cooler light in the morning and brighter light in the afternoon. If you mainly spend time in the room during the morning, a yellow-based colour would help to add some warmth. If you use it more in the afternoon when it's brighter, a pale tone could work well. East-facing rooms are the opposite, with warmer and brighter light in the morning and cooler light in the afternoon.
Rooms facing south enjoy strong, natural warm light. While all colours work well in these rooms, some may appear more yellow. To balance the intensity of the sunlight, use cool shades such as blue and green. If you prefer greys or whites, choose ones with hints of blue and green to offset the warmth of the light.
Make the space work for you
Once you have determined the orientation of your room and when you will use it, consider how you want to use the space. If you want to relax after a long day of work or read a book in bed before sleeping, choose a light, warm, and cosy colour that won't distract or stimulate your brain. However, in spaces like dining and living rooms, you have an opportunity to be more daring with your colour choice. Choose a stimulating and interesting hue that will spark conversation.
Different colours create different moods, and various shades within colours have a different impact. Warm and uplifting colours like yellows, oranges, and reds have an energising effect and are popular for social spaces. For a soothing atmosphere, choose cooler tones like blues, greens, and lilacs. For a cosy feel, consider earthy shades.
Factor in artificial light
Another factor to consider when choosing your paint colour is artificial light, which will impact the look of the paint colour. The key is to ensure consistency by making sure that all light sources in a room have the same light temperature. Lighting temperatures are measured in Kelvin (K). We take care to ensure that all light sources throughout a property emit a consistent warm light at 2700K.
Sample paints
When choosing a paint colour, one of the most important things to do is to test a paint sample. In our office, we use large A3 boards to sample paint colours for interior design projects. These boards are our go-to when making sure paint colours work with the schemes we have chosen for our clients. They are also great to take to the site and hold up against the walls to ensure the colour works in the space and with the lighting. This method works much better than painting a random area onto the wall, as you're usually just comparing the new colour to the original wall colour rather than evaluating the new colour on its own.
Not everyone has access to large A3 boards. A good alternative is to choose some paint samples that you like and paint them onto cardboard. Then, move the cardboard around the room to see how the paint colours look in different lighting and against various surfaces. Paints can appear much lighter or darker than they do on a sample card, where they are surrounded by a white background that gives an artificial impression.
Painting a sample onto cardboard instead of directly on the wall allows you to take your time to plan and consider your interior scheme without creating patches of colour on your walls that aren't quite right. The cardboard samples also allow you to see how your chosen colour looks against your existing furniture and are easy to take with you when selecting soft furnishings and furniture for your new scheme. It's important that the colour of the walls complements the tones of your fabrics and other surfaces throughout the room.
Don’t forget about flow
Another thing to bear in mind is that your colour palettes should flow from one space to the next. You wouldn't want one room in shades of cool grey and the neighbouring room in shades of warm oatmeal. Your undertones must be consistent so that the house feels like a harmonious entity and not like a mishmash of different themed spaces.
To create flow, you can use a cohesive palette throughout the house and choose complementary tonal colours. Alternatively, you can focus on the connecting spaces and use a consistent paint colour or graduated shades on the walls. If you choose a dramatic shade for a room, pick out accents of that shade in other rooms to link them together. A good idea is to bring together mood boards for each space to ensure they work well together.
And finally…
There is no golden rule about how many colours you should use when creating a colour palette. Personally, I feel that the more natural it appears, the less calculated and predictable it seems, so I would suggest up to 10 different colours. However, some designers are more restrained and may only choose one colour, but I believe that approach can feel too formulaic. If you are unsure, consider consulting a seasoned interior designer.
