Tips for Choosing the Right Interior Paint Colours for Your Home

Before pulling out the paintbrush, pick up a couple of decor magazines, look at your favourite decorating sites and browse the paint aisle. Being knowledgeable about the choices out there will help you make an informed decision.

Related: 10 Interior Paint Colours You'll Be Using to Update Your Home in 2019

Look around your home and assess what already exists in each room. The fabric on your couches, artwork on the walls and flooring and tile choices can help guide you towards the ultimate colour palette.

Lighting – both natural and artificial – can help you decide on a colour palette as well. A space with limited light can benefit from the reflective properties of a lighter, cooler shade, while a room with lots of light can hold deeper, richer tones.

Don’t assume that just because a specific paint colour looks amazing in your friend’s house, it will do the same in yours. Each space comes with its own list of considerations – architectural details, furnishings and lighting – so work with what you’ve got.

Before committing to a colour, think about who uses the room. If it’s a communal space, staying away from intense tones and keeping it neutral ups your chances of pleasing the majority.

When picking a palette, it’s best to choose from one of these three categories: warm, cool or neutral. Staying within a single tonal family helps to create cohesion between a variety of paint colours in a single space.

Once you’ve narrowed it down to your preferred colour, take home three or four sample cans of a similar shade. Paint two coats of each in a 1×1-metre space on the wall and, over a few days, see how each changes with the shifting light.

When it comes to picking out paint colours for your home there are no hard rules, only guidelines. Follow your instincts and remember to have fun – adding colour to your home will bring colour into your life.