Picking the right paint for YOUR home.
We love to stay on top of interior trends. As Master Painters, of course we are particularly interested in paint colours and love seeing what the interior designers we collaborate with come up with for the beautiful homes we work on.
Trade shows, designers, and magazines can all tell you what’s trending right now. And if you like what you see, that’s fantastic. However, you will be the one living with your colour choice—so we recommend you look a little deeper than what’s hot and what’s not to decide on a scheme that suits your lifestyle and your taste. Trends come and go. Give them some consideration, but give your own likes and dislikes the final say.
That way, you’ll enjoy your interiors far beyond the life cycle of the trend! Here are our tips for choosing the paint colours to use in your home.
Decide what YOU like.
Children may have strong opinions about what their “favourite” colour is, but adults generally do not. It just doesn’t often come up—but when you’re picking paint colours for your home, you need to get in touch with your preferences.
Of course, you can enjoy a colour without wanting it to be on your walls. But knowing what you like is a good place to start. Look at your clothing, your accessories, your art. What’s the trend that emerges? Pin a few images on Pinterest and notice which colours you’re drawn to.
It may be that you choose a toned-down version of your favourite shade, put it on a feature wall, or just use it to accessorise once the painting is done. Knowing what you like is a good starting point.
Create your concept of HOME
The colour and decor choices you make are based on what you want your home to look like. And the way your home looks should be a reflection of what you want it to be.
For many of us, a home is a place to retreat from the outside world. If that’s you, you’ll want your home to be calm, peaceful, and serene. For this, colours like (light) blue, green, and pink are good choices.
Do you want to be energised by your home? Need a kitchen that gets you going in the morning? Pick your favourite vibrant colours and maybe even some patterned wallpaper that ties in those same hues. Yellow is widely recognised as the happiest colour, so keep that in mind. If you can’t commit to something very bright and bold, a pale yellow might offer the effect you are looking for.
If you have a collection of art you’d like to showcase in your home, a neutral colour will allow it to pop.
The gist is simply this: carefully consider what purpose you want your home to serve, and let this guide your decision-making.
Consider your canvas
Your home is unique. You may have a Pinterest board full of charming old-world home decor, but if your place is strikingly modern and full of interesting angles and curves, you will have trouble recreating the looks. Think about how your chosen decor will look in your own space.
You can, however, use paint colours to change the look and feel of a space to a certain degree. Lighter colours make it feel more spacious. Darker tones can make it cosier. Different hues painted strategically can raise or lower the ceiling.
Book a professional
If we were to offer one tip above all others, it would be this: invest in an interior designer. They are trained and talented in solving this very dilemma, and can take your wants and needs into account and come up with a colour scheme that will work.
Doing a bit of research and thinking about the points we’ve listed above before your consultation is the best way to be prepared. Knowing what you want to achieve will make the process simpler.
Make it quality
Whatever the colour you choose, you will want a good finish and a quality, durable paint job. It’s difficult to enjoy the perfect shade when all you can see are blemishes and bad lines!
If you’re planning on tackling the task yourself, download our Insider's Guide to Painting a Multi-Million Dollar Home in Auckland, filled with tips from over 15 years of painting Auckland’s most beautiful homes. It’s available here.
And if you’re looking to outsource to the experts, get in touch with the Wall Treats team. We are master painters with plenty of experience with high-end projects. Our customers can also take advantage of our FREE colour consultant offer—get a quote now and let’s get your painting started.
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