​Creating colour: Interior paint ideas for your home

Johannes van Graan Johannes van Graan
Living Room, Pixers Pixers غرفة المعيشة
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What’s more fun than splashing a fresh coat of paint onto a wall to give a room some character? Picking out the colour(s) you’ll be splashing onto said wall, that’s what! That’s right – picking paint colours doesn’t have to be a dull or difficult task (if you follow the right approach, of course). 

And the easiest way to sift between different interior paint ideas for your home? Start with the colours you love. After all, if you can’t stand the sight of yellow, for example, why would you splash it onto your bedroom wall?

In addition, when you start with the colours you fancy, you are not bound by the traditional colour schemes for a particular decorating style (like soft neutrals for modern designs). Using your favourite hue as a base colour also makes it easier to create a colour scheme for the entire room around it (something which any professional interior designer/decorator worth his salt will also tell you). 

And speaking of making things easier, when it comes to choosing from a world of interior paint ideas for your home, we’ve already laid out the steps for you. Let’s start…

1. Gather inspiration for interior paint ideas

So you’re a fan of blue (or purple or ballet-slipper pink… ). Whatever hue you deem as your favourite, look how it’s used in other homes by checking out magazines, Pinterest boards and, of course, homify’s extensive range of interior images. 

See how a thousand different hues of your favourite paint colours for living rooms are being used, which is sure to start conjuring up a variety of interior paint ideas in your subconscious.

2. Consider the adjoining room

You may be searching for a new colour for the living room, for example, but how will that new splash of paint translate into the adjoining space, like the kitchen or dining room? Approach it like a composition: you’re socialising in the living room, but you’re still going to see a piece of the other room’s walls. How will those room’s colours flow with the living room’s? 

Remember that it’s important to have continuity throughout a house. To narrow your choices down, use one or two colours for the entire house, consider their different hues, then mix in other accent colours. This allows for continuity between rooms while still ensuring that different rooms have different personalities.

3. Learn the secret of choosing neutral paint colours

A neutral colour scheme isn’t always the best choice. It depends on your house, its location, the architecture, plus your own personality. After all, in a world filled with interior paint ideas, why would you opt for splashing a whole house in a hue that can make it look boring? 

On the other hand, should you choose to go the neutral route, there’s no reason why those colours need to be laid back. Rev up that colour palette by getting creative with how the colours are used.

For instance, opt for a striped wall in neutral hues for character and pattern, yet which still keeps the room looking relaxed. Neutral wall colour with a pastel ceiling is another clever way to add colour without losing the soothing vibe of the space.

4. Pay attention to lighting

Ever wondered why paint stores have light boxes for you to test paint chips? 

• Natural daylight shows the truest hue of that colour; 

• Incandescent lighting brings out warm tones and yellows; 

• Fluorescent lighting casts a sharp blue tone.

Always select three shades of the colour you want: the colour you think you want, one shade lighter, and one shade darker (this counts for wallpapers and fabric swatches, not only paints). Place these three samples in two places: next to the window and in a darker corner. Look at them at different times during the day and at night. This is sure to help you make a choice.

5. How the colour wheel affects your interior paint ideas

Considering the various interior paint ideas can’t be completed without considering the all-important colour wheel. Any two colours appearing opposite each other on the wheel (like red and green) are most intense when used together. Playing with colour wheels can even lead to one considering entirely new colour palettes. 

The colour wheel also illustrates the visual temperature of a colour. Draw a line in the middle of the wheel, with the yellow-green-blue colours on one side, and the rest on the other. This perfectly separates the cooler hues (blues) from the warmer ones (pinks, oranges and reds).

6. Adding depth with decorative finishes

Remember that interior paint ideas can be enhanced with that little touch known as ‘décor’. Even the dullest white wall can be given a new look with dramatic visual texture and colourful additions. 

Consider décor pieces with metal finishes, layered coloured glazes, copper surfaces, coarse textures, etc. How do these complement your wall colours?

7. Is bold really the best?

We’re all for a room splashed in a bright red or cool green, but think about the future. Won’t you grow tired of looking at that striking colour every single day? 

Should you not be sure you want to commit to splashing a whole room in a bold colour, yet you really have your heart set on an eye-catching hue, consider using it as an accent instead. Paint only the main wall of the room in that colour (like the wall with the focal point in the living room, like the television or fireplace).

8. Finding interior paint ideas in your artwork

One of the first things a professional interior designer will do is look at the types of artwork in your home. Why? Because these already have the colours needed for your colour scheme, making the process of selecting interior paint ideas much easier. 

Look at your favourite painting in the room to see what hues it flaunts. Then set about creating complementing colours for the rest of the room, including the walls.

9. Finding interior paint ideas in your prints

Throw pillows, cushions, bedding and even table linens can also guide you on the right colour track. If you're creating an accent wall, look to the boldest colours in the print. If you would like to pick a paint colour that is more subtle or for a larger space, discern which colour is used in the smallest of detail of your print fabric.  

Next step: take a fabric swatch to the paint store, let them help you choose paint strips (remember to pick three shades), and go back home to start playing with colours. 

See how super small can still be super stylish with these 10 great colours to paint your small living room walls.

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