Choosing colour for your interior
- Cinzia Polese
- Jul 8, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 10, 2022
Choosing the right colour for your interior can be tricky and even daunting:
How do I use a particular paint colour?
Will it match with what I have?
Do I have to paint all four walls or just one?
Which colour is best for a master bedroom or a living room?
I am afraid of using colours, so I stick with white!
First, let me say that when I talk about colour in this instance, I am talking mainly about paint but do not underestimate the power of fabrics and wallpapers. Sometimes we take for granted what we already own like a sofa, rugs, or a piece of art.
So, let’s dive in into this fascinating and intriguing topic.
Choosing the right colour: finding inspiration in what you already own
Look around your room. Is there a specific object or furniture that you particularly love? Focus on your upholstery, your floors, your accessories for example, an art piece. Are you drawn to a particular colour? Perhaps your art piece is going to be the focal point of your room or that old piece of furniture needing a bit of TLC.
Often when I buy something new and I wish to create a specific scheme, I will look for similar pieces whether in shape or colour. However, I often buy something that simply grabs my attention. And guess what? The new object has colours that are very similar to something already in my possession. So, start with what you have and with your surroundings.
If you look at the above pictures, do you see a similar pattern? All of the above objects where purchased years apart...And yet... I guess I have "a thing" for red and blue and owls! In this case, you would extract one of the colours and apply it to either your walls or your furnishings.
In the next picture there is a Sandberg wallpaper sample that I fell in love with. Starting with that I then sourced the painting for my walls. I was undecided between Farrow and Ball Setting Plaster on the far left and Card Room Green. In the end I went for Setting Plaster as I wanted a cocooning feeling in our North facing master bedroom. I may use Card Room Green to paint a piece of furniture. Don’t they look great together?
The next step would be to head over to Pinterest to find more inspiration and if you feel more creative, even design a moodboard to make sure that your colour scheme is cohesive throughout (more on moodboards another time 😉)
Choosing the right colour: low VOCs paint
After you have done your initial research, it’s time to look for the paint. But don’t rush to buy any paint! Your research is not quite over yet. Between all the different brands, and colours available I could write an article every day for an entire month or more!
My number one priority is to choose a brand that is in line with my values like sustainability. I would look for eco paint meaning a paint that is low in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), eco-friendly, water-based and that it has been made in a sustainable kind-to-the-environment fashion.
The most popular eco brands include Farrow and Ball (I have used their Setting Plaster, a powdery grown-up kind of pink in the master bedroom and am super happy with the finish and the texture…and so is my husband despite being pink!), Little Greene, Edward Bulmer Natural Paints (UK only) and Earthborn (UK only) but also Lick and the French brand Blime. These last two are worth looking into because not only they are considerable cheaper than other brands, but they send peel and stick samples that can be attached directly onto the wall. This will allow you to see what your chosen samples look like at different times during the day.
Choosing the right colour: understanding how light affects colour
It is very important to look at the orientation of the room you want to paint. Is it in the North part of the house? Or perhaps the South? And why is it so important? Light affects colour so the natural light a room receives at sunrise will be different and more intense than the light at sunset.
Artificial light coming from your lamps will also affect the colour scheme so fluorescent lamps will emanate a cooler light while incandescent lights will provide more of a warmer glow. And that is why it is important to have swatches of your favourite paint colour like the peel and stick samples or simply paint an A4 sheet of paper in your chosen nuance and stick it to your wall. Live with them for a few days and notice how the colour changes throughout the day.
Above, are the swatches I have painted using Farrow and Ball Picture Gallery Red, De Nimes and Peignoir. Look at the light effects #farrowandball
North facing rooms tend to receive a cooler natural light so my best advice would be to add warmth by using a neutral light shade with a pink, red or yellow undertone. If you are not afraid of using colours, don’t fight nature. Rather work with it, and choose darker hues to add a bit of drama and give an enveloping feel to your bedroom or living room for example. Avoid colours with cooler green or blue undertones that will accentuate the coolness and please avoid a stark white that will look washed out #northfacingrooms
East and West facing rooms are at the opposite end. East facing rooms will look brighter in the morning and cooler in the evening while West facing rooms will look brighter in the evening glow as the sun sets. The first thing to consider in this case is how these rooms are used and when. Cooler colours like blue and green will help balance the light #eastfacingrooms #westfacingrooms
I have used olive green in my South-west study. Green is excellent for improving concentration.
My son’s bedroom is north-east facing so it gets the sun in the morning but it’s cooler in the afternoon, so I have chosen a light blue for the clouds and teal for the bed.
South facing rooms are great because they enjoy clear natural light for most of the day, so all colours work in this space. However, contrary to a north facing room, colours with a cooler base like blues and green will help “cool” down the intensity of the light. This can be true for neutral colours as well #southfacingrooms
My kitchen is South-East facing so plenty of sun most of the day. I chose a neutral off-white for the furniture.
Finally, think about how you want to use a particular room. Is it the kitchen or is it your bedroom that needs your attention? The kitchen in many cases is the heart and soul of your home, it is where your favourite meals are prepared and where family gathers. It should be bright and airy. However, your bedroom is where you retire at the end of a long day, so you want it to be restful and intimate. And don’t forget that furniture could be painted as well, especially if you feel that painting a wall terracotta red, dark green or blue may feel too daunting.
Finally, neutral hues with different undertones for the walls are also a good solution, should you prefer to add colours with upholstery, rugs or cushions.
Now, get your creative juice flowing!
Thank you for sticking until the end. Till next time x
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