It can be fun and a little intimidating to choose paint colours for your home. There are so many colours, tones, and finishes that it might feel like you’re looking at the biggest rainbow in the world. The good news is that picking colours you can live with and enjoy long term is a lot easier once you understand a few basic principles.
First, think about how you want the room to feel. Warm whites, creams, and grays are soft neutrals that make bedrooms, living rooms, and corridors feel more open and spacious but also tranquil and relaxed. Richer colours like navy, forest green, or deep terracotta can make a room feel warm and dramatic. Bright colours make children’s rooms, workspaces, or creative spaces feel fun and can help spark creativity. The ideal colour starts to reveal itself when you think about how you want the room to feel.
The way paint looks depends a lot on lighting. Natural daylight shows the most accurate representation of a colour. Warm interior lighting can make colours look more golden or creamier. While some other colours can look a little bluer when the lighting is cool. This is why a colour that appears one way in the store can look quite different on your wall at night. Therefore, the easiest way to test out a colour is to try it out in a small area of the room and look at it in the morning, afternoon, and evening before you buy it.
It also helps to look at what’s already in the space. The way a colour looks depends on your flooring, furniture, cabinetry, and trim. A grey wall next to a warm wood floor will look different than the same grey wall next to white or grey tile. You can add accent walls, artwork, pillows, and other decor to add richer colours to your home if you decide to keep the main walls lighter and more neutral. This allows you to easily change things up later if your tastes change. And, if you have any plans to sell in the next couple of years, neutral paint colours are always recommended by real estate agents for bringing in top dollar.
Another small thing that makes a significant difference is undertones. A beige colour can have pink, yellow, or green undertones. A white could feel creamy or bold and crisp. Putting samples next to each other lets you see these small differences so that you don’t have any surprises when the painting project is completed.
And if you are planning to paint more than one room, consider the flow of colour between the rooms. It’s not necessary for every room to match, but it is nicer when the colours from one room to the next harmonize with each other. Using a simple colour scheme and recurring tones throughout the space makes it feel more connected.
Above all else, trust yourself and your taste. You are the one who will be looking at your walls every day, so pick colours that make you feel happy, calm, inspired, or tranquil, depending on the room.
When you are ready to bring those colours to life, Kitchener Waterloo Painters can help with clean, professional interior painting that makes your home feel fresh again. Reach out today if you are looking for a reliable painting company in Kitchener.
