After working for over ten years as Interior Designers in Ireland we often get asked about paint colours, so we wanted to create a practical guide of how to choose the right colours for your home. Colours make all the difference when it comes to how your interior will look and feel. It’s no wonder then that interior designers consider choosing colours a vital part of their process. Although choosing a colour palette for your property might seem like a straightforward task, it can get tricky and overwhelming. The abundance of colours and nuances on the market can complicate your decision making.
How to choose the right colour for your home?
There is no wrong answer to this question. It all comes down to your personal tastes and preferences. Depending on the final effect you want to achieve, opt for one shade or another. For example, cooler hues such as blues, greens or purples will make your space appear bigger and airier. On the other hand, yellows, oranges and reds will bring a dynamic atmosphere into your room. We love working with colour in our designs to bring a room to life and create a modern interior design space, check out our past projects to get some inspiration.
Understanding colours is key to a successful design project. We have created a short, but useful guide to help you make the right choice, and choose the most adequate colours for your home.
- Start with some inspiration
Social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are great sources for inspiration. We regularly update ours so follow us to stay up to date. On Pinterest, you can create your own board and start collecting ideas. Instagram has the option to save photos that you like. Once you gather about 10 to 20 photos, you will understand what colours and tones you are drawn to. Try to gather inspiration from locations with climate and lighting conditions similar to yours, this way, you will be sure that the colours you chose will work best in your home. If you are not a fan of social media you can also get inspiration from things that surround you. Just look around and see what colours you are attracted to.
- Don’t pick your wall colour first
Although it may seem like a logical idea to choose the colour for your walls first, it will actually cause you more problems in the long run. As there are literally hundreds of colours to choose from, you should select everything else for the space first and then select your paint colour. This will ensure that you have a cohesive palette for the space.
- Neutral hues are your friends
By no means do we recommend omitting colours, we love colour, and colour is good, however, we suggest that you decide where you want the attention in your room to go to. If your answer is the walls then why not go ahead and select some bold colours. Nevertheless, we suggest keeping everything else in the room pretty neutral in that case.
- Testers
Purchase testers before committing to a large tin of paint. Get a couple of testers in different colours or even in various shades of the same colour. Paint a few different walls and see how they interact with light at different times of days, as well as during different weather conditions.
- Create a colour theme throughout the whole house
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to paint your whole home in the same colour. Feel free to add accents in different hues or shades. Though, by selecting a colour theme or colour palette, you will unite all spaces inside your property as a whole which will bring a cohesive feeling to the entire house.
If the thought of having to make these big choices to your home design are too overwhelming then we would be happy to work with you on creating your dream home. One of our expert interior designers in Dublin, would be happy to talk through options with you.
Or if you have an upcoming project and would like to work together, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we would love to chat through it together.
Did you know? The perfect time to engage an interior architect & designer is at the start of any project. We provide a full range of design services from concept through to completion.
