Painting a room is a chance to express yourself. Trust your instincts and choose colours you feel comfortable with or shades that create a certain mood.
Red
Spice up your life with a room full of red. It’s warm exciting, lively and powerful. But be warned - it’s not for timid. However, it’s comforting to know red can work beautifully on just one wall.
The broad range of luscious reds can dress interiors from classic to contemporary.
- Chinese or Ming Red (a red/orange) works in traditional or Asian-inspired interiors.
- Pure red provides a playful punch in contemporary spaces.
- Brick reds shaded with black are at home country spaces.
- Burgundy is a classic choice for traditional interiors, supplying a rich stage for formal furnishings.
- Purple-shaded reds are edgy, well suited to apartments and clean-lined contemporary spaces.
- Sassy lipstick red is right at home on your dining room walls. It’ll draw the walls of a large room in while its silent energy will invigorate guests and keep conversation flowing all night long.
Blue
Blue is by far and away the most popular colour for the home. There’s a distinct trend towards the use of mid-tone blues reminiscent of warm tropical waters, such as turquoise.
Vary the blue and you vary the style of the room.
- Pastel blues tend to look sweet and pretty, so they work nicely in nurseries.
- Smoky blue-greys supply traditional backdrops for classic furnishings.
- Deep navy blues from dramatic backdrops for modern, sophisticated spaces yet they combine well with work-shirt chambray for kids’ rooms and spaces.
- Mid-tone blues, such as cornflower, establish a country mood.
- A pale blue creates a restful ambiance in a room dedicated to relaxation.
Green
Green is one of the easiest colours you can ever hope to decorate with - the same shade of green can take you from traditional to ultra-modern. And, just a glance at your garden reveals how easily you can mix and match it with other colours. Green can be used in any space and because it’s nature’s colour, you’ll never tire of it.
It’s difficult to match a particular shade of green with a specific style. Greens seem to transcend the usual boundaries.
- Combine green with white for an easy-going fresh colour scheme that brings the garden inside.
- A mellow combo of pale greens and yellows is a home in a country setting.
- Spice up a green scheme with brights - apple green with lilac or raspberry; lime green with periwinkle blue or celadon with a mid-tone blue.
- Bring a room to life with apple green and orange - great in the kitchen or kids’ rooms. Adding brights make a room appear more modern.
Neutral Colours
The new neutrals range from creams to caramels to chocolate and are a sure-fire way to create an up-market look without spending a fortune. Use whipped cream for classic good looks or mocha walls to set off mid-tone timber accents.
Neutral colours are a constant source of decorative inspiration and can be tailored to suit a modern minimal decor or a luxurious warm haven.
- Be bold with neutrals and add a dash of aqua for a room that is as fresh as it is sophisticated.
- Pale neutrals look fabulous with cherry blossom pink and sage greens. The addition of a pretty floral print fabric in matching shades spell a classic country garden theme.
- Turn neutrals into naive. Jazz up the floor with a colorful tribal rug in earthy tones. Pick out a colour or to and repeat them in accessories dotted around the room.
- Yummy latte walls benefit from splashes of cream while textured carpet, baskets and timber furnishings add extra warmth and depth.
Yellow
Bring welcoming glow into your home with the many warm and cheerful shades of yellow. Yellow has universal appeal, it’s that favourite stand by you know will always be there for you - rain, hail or shine. But mostly shine. Yellow can be bold without being overpowering, bringing light and warmth to even the dullest of rooms.
Whatever the shade, yellow will brighten any room.
- Yellow and contrasting blue are always a hit and, depending on the shade, will work for a traditional English or French country look. Buttermilk yellow and a soft powdery blue give a traditional look, sunny yellow and cornflower blue a Mediterranean look.
- If you prefer a harmonious scheme, look for colours that lie next to yellow on the colour wheel as us green which makes a good accent colour.
- Team a strong accent colour such as warm red with yellow but use it sparingly or it will overpower the scheme.