Pick a colour, any colour!
Decisions, decisions. Our busy lives are filled with them. With so many colour choices, how do you decide which palette is right for you?
Cool greys, calming blues or earthy greens… It’s the number one area people stress about when faced with selecting colour schemes for their homes. How many of us have stood in front of that giant wall of paint chips at our local paint store and just felt completely overwhelmed by choice? And who on earth can tell if they selected the right colour just by holding up those teeny tiny paint chips against their living room wall?
If you are struggling to figure out where to start when it comes to creating a cohesive look for your home, the best place to start with is colour. Creating a colour scheme for your home will ensure that one room ties into the next nicely, even if the style of each room is a little bit different.
If choosing colours for your home intimidates you, then follow these 4 easy steps!
“What I need most of all is colour, always, always”
1. Pick a White
But pick the right white! With so many variations to choose from, selecting the right white for trim, doors, and insides of closets is easy when you look at items in your home that you are stuck with – flooring, cabinets, furniture
Take your cues for hues from the undertones of these fixed items – using the right whites with a touch of yellow or hints of grey will give your space a harmonious look
2. Pick a Neutral
Don’t yawn – neutral doesn’t have to mean boring beige or tan for your walls
Neutrals can be a colour but it is a very subtle shade or hue of a colour. My go to neutral is grey. Warm greys will look closer to taupe and cool greys will veer toward blue
3. Pick a Colour
Keep in mind that picking a colour doesn’t necessarily mean picking a wall colour – think furnishings and decorative accents
A great starting point for picking a colour is to go with one you love
If your favourite colour is turquoise but you don’t want to be that bold on walls, just move down a few shades lighter on a paint swatch for a variation of the same deep turquoise that you love
4. Pick an Accent Colour
Now that you are feeling confident in selecting colours, go ahead and pick an accent colour
Accent colours can be an accent in one room and a main colour in another. This is a great way to use your new colour palette throughout your home.
Tips for selecting accent colours:
For a monochromatic look - move up or down that same colour swatch you picked in tip 3
For a complimentary colour – get your hands on a colour wheel (available online or in your local paint store) and select the colour directly across from the colour you picked in tip 3
Now that you’ve created a palette using these 4 simple steps, you’ll be able to style your home with confidence. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different shades within your palette and see what feels right in the space.
If you still think you’d like some direction in this area consider having a colour consultation with an Interior Stylist to develop a palette for you.
Stylist Pro Tip: purchase a sample paint can from your local Benjamin Moore store to see how the colour looks at different times of the day and before committing to expensive gallons of unreturnable paint!
The living room’s palette mixes blue, green and natural linen shades with white for an inviting look.
What’s your favourite colour combination?