If you’ve decided to decorate, and are surrounded by colour charts and swatches, choosing the perfect colour for your walls can turn into a minefield. With ever increasing shades and hues available, it can be hard to know where to start. To ensure you don’t make a decision you might later regret, read the following guide on choosing the perfect paint colour.
Choose a colour to complement the room
Before picking out a colour, decide whether it will work well with the rest of the elements in the room, such as colour of furniture, fabrics, floor and curtains, etc. If you aren’t planning on changing any other feature in the room, then the colour you choose will be of even more importance.
Colours need to blend well in a room to cement a particular look or style. They don’t necessarily have to be the same shade, but it helps if they complement each other in some way. Avoid creating a room that has more colours in it than the shades of a rainbow. It might end up giving you a headache!
Colours are said to invoke different feelings and moods, so choose soft, pastel shades for bedrooms and more energetic colours such as reds for rooms that you want to inspire creativity and communication. Oranges and greens are reputedly ideal for concentrating, so make good working environment shades. Opt for lighter shades for small rooms, as this can increase the sense of space. Darker ones will only make a room feel smaller.
Buy sample pots
Often, you might have a colour in mind, such as green, but trying to work out which shade of that colour you want can be the troublesome aspect – especially if some look quite similar. If you’re not sure whether to opt for lime green, pastel green or tropical green, for instance, then buy small sample pots of each and test them out on a wall next to each other, before committing to any one shade. It’s really hard to decipher what a colour will look like from the swatch chart or the tin lid, so actually diving in with your paintbrush is the only option.
Customised colours
If you can’t find a colour to suit you, then consider getting a colour customised to your exact requirements. Just bear in mind, to get extra paint if you need to do any touch-up jobs in the future.
Matt or silk?
Decide if you want your colour to be in matt or silk. Matt paints are better at concealing wall blemishes. Silk gives a shinier finish, and is easier to wipe clean. You may also want to use a primer before you apply a coat of paint, as this can bring out the colour more.
Use a good brush
Worn out brushes with broken bristles won’t provide a good finish to your paintwork, so either use new brushes or an alternative method, such as spraying, rolling or sponging the paint on. Use masking tape around wall edges for a seamless finish, and always cover up surfaces when painting as it has a tendency to get everywhere.
Good light
Do your decorating on a day when you’ve got good light, so that you can see what you’re doing. It will also dry quicker on days when there is less moisture in the air, so avoid painting jobs on humid or damp days.
Crispin works and writes for www.internaldoors.co.uk – one of the UK’s leading suppliers of external and internal doors. Check out their site for more details.
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