Choosing a new colour to paint a room can be a daunting task. The perfect colour will stay relevant, work cohesively with the rest of your property, and make you happy whenever you walk in to the room. Get it wrong and you’ve wasted hundreds of pounds and hours of work.
So, how do you go about choosing the perfect paint colour?
1. Choose the furniture first
The cost of paints may have risen in recent years, but even if you are buying paints from expensive brands like Farrow & Ball or Little Greene you will be able to buy enough paint to recolour most rooms for under £300. Contrast this with buying or recovering a sofa, which could well cost north of £1,000 and it makes sense to choose which bits of furniture you already own will be in the room before you choose the paint.
2. Explore how sunlight hits the room
The direction of the room and where the windows are placed can have a significant impact on how paints will look, and can provide some hints as to the colour to choose. South-facing rooms enjoy a warmer light, which can bring out yellow base tones, and so a colder palette of blues and greys will be warmed by the sun. Meanwhile, north-facing rooms will have a colder light and so warmer tones of creams and neutral yellows may work best.
3. Think about the mood and purpose of the room
Psychologists say that certain colours and palettes can have an impact on how people feel within a space. Greens and blues are generally considered to be more relaxing colours, and so ideal for a room where you want to unwind or keep a clear head, such as in bedrooms or home offices.
In contrast, warm bold colours like reds and oranges can energise a space, and encourage people to communicate, which would make them ideal of more sociable spaces like the kitchen.
4. Take a look at your wardrobe
It is critical that you love the colour you choose, and one way designers often help people choose their favourite colour palette is by getting the them to open their wardrobe and see what colour of clothing they typically buy. Choosing a new jumper or dress feels a lot less daunting than a new colour for a room, so people tend to be more free in their selections and their true feelings about colours may make themselves apparent.
If your wardrobe is full of blues and greens, then they may well be the colour scheme that your property should reflect. Similarly, if your wardrobe is spilling out with bright oranges and reds, then maybe that is the spectrum you should be looking at when redecorating.
5. Try before you buy with tester pots
The reality is that no matter how much you think you have chosen the right colour for a room, you will never truly know whether it works until you get it on the wall. Luckily, paint companies offer tester pots which only cost a few pounds and will give you a much better idea about whether a colour will work in a room than any amount of theorising. Just try to narrow it down to two or three colours before testing them out or you might remain stuck with indecision and a room that looks like a rainbow.
If you are looking to redecorate your property and need some help, from choosing the right colour to getting that professionally painted finish, then call Beall Group on 0208 058 2203 or contact us online.
