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The most important rule to remember when you’re choosing a colour scheme is that there are no rules; decorating is full of personal choices and preferences. Make the most of colour and you can create a unique colour scheme that reflects your personality and brings energy and vitality into your home. |
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We have all experienced the power of colour. Colour can change the apparent shape and size of spaces and objects and affect the way we fell. Colours can make a statement or reflect the use of a room. |
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Colour temperature and movement
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Picture a rainbow; red, orange and yellow at one end, are warm and vibrant and seem to bring surfaces closer. Cooler colours such as greens, blues and pale tones, seem to move away. This means that you can influence the sense of space, and warmth of a room, by carefully choosing your colours. |
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Colour association and texture
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When choosing colours it’s important to remember that their look can be changed by the texture of the surface and the presence of other colours nearby.
A high gloss finish will make a room appear brighter and more intense, and a low sheen finish will give a softer look.
Adjacent colours will also affect what we see. A dark colour next to a lighter colour will make the dark colour seem deeper and the light colour lighter. |
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The colours we see are determined by the surface and available light. Colours are closest to their true appearance in outside daylight, or in light form a window that does not face the sun. When you’re planning a colour scheme for a room, the first thing to consider is how light will affect it. Always test your room colours with Levene Colour Samplers, making sure you look at them under all lighting conditions.
Yellows Bright and invigorating, yellow brings a fresh, lively feeling to a room. Yellow inspires happiness and creativity.
Reds, corals and pinks Warm, vibrant colours that create a sense of intimacy and strength.
Browns Country colours that bring warmth and a feeling of honesty to your home.
Blues are cool They can suggest peace and harmony or add a bold accent in furnishings or trim.
Greens Soothing, reassuring natural tones that can bring the outdoors inside.
Purples and violets Traditionally deep purple suggest grandeur and opulence. Less intense tones can be a refreshing change.
Blacks and greys Black can conjure up images of mystery, or elegance and sleek sophistication. Grey is a non-colour; it is the true neutral. The right tone can be an ideal backdrop or accent in almost any colour scheme.
White Stylish and cool, or stark and demanding, white enhances and amplifies the effect of other colours. |
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The three most popular categories of colour schemes are:
- Variations of one shade colour schemes These are popular and easy to use.
- Harmonious schemes Based on similar colours. An example is a scheme comprising greens, blues and purples.
- Complementary schemes Based on using colours that are at opposites on the colour wheel. The lighter colour is usually dominant, with the stronger colours used for accents.
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Steps to choosing colours
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Remember to test your colours with Levene Colour Samplers and be adventurous!
- Consider the aspect of the room. If the natural light is warm, cooler colours are often the first choice. If the light is cool, warmer colours add cosiness.
- Think about how the room is to be used and the atmosphere you wish to create.
- Select your main colour, use existing furnishings as a starting point.
- Look at the balance of colours. In general, light colours should be used in large areas, with deeper colours on a smaller area of the total room.
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Always have a reason for selecting colour.
- Choose fabrics and other furnishings before your paint colours.
- Backgrounds should not be intrusive; their role is to enhance what is in the foreground.
- Connect rooms by using a common colour, even if only in furnishings or woodwork.
- One colour should always dominate a scheme – the colour of the largest area.
- Cool colours recede and increase the apparent size of the room. Warm colours advance and appear to decrease the size of a room.
- Avoid using two colours of the same strength together.
- Every room should have some focal point, which may be an accent colour or a feature wall.
- Darker colours work well for the smaller areas such as architraves, skirting and trim details.
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Selecting exterior colours can be fun and rewarding. There’s nothing like giving your home a fresh new look. |
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Colour inspiration is everywhere. A drive through the suburbs with houses similar in style to yours will show you a range of different exterior colour schemes. A glance through book and magazines will provide many more. |
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The effects of orientation on colour are similar for exteriors and interiors. Try using a few shades darker than you first think, to really bring out the effect of the colours. You’ll be amazed at the difference it can make! |
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Dark colours will make your house seem smaller, while light colours will tend to make it appear bigger. |
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While the aim of your colour scheme is to please you and personalise your house, it should also sit comfortably with the other houses and features in your street. Remember, you can paint the front and back of your house with different colours. This will allow you to create one house for the streetscape and another for your rear living area. |
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An early decision to make is whether the house is going to contrast with, or complement the garden. |
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Another factor to consider is your interior colour scheme. People will pass from exterior to the interior so the colours should work well together. |
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Because exteriors of houses are larger than interior rooms and there are more details, you can have a wider range of trim colours. Four to five is not unusual and they can be fun to plan and paint! |
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