Picking a good colour pallet that works can be a bit of a challenge if you’re a little rusty on the rules of colour combinations and design that the professionals follow. What’s the best choice for the particular room you’re working with? How can you best use colour to compliment your room’s furniture? Here are a few good tips you can use when looking for the perfect colour pallet for your next painting project.
Dark to light, bottom to top
Keeping darker colours closer to the floor and getting lighter as you go up is a great way to make a room look good. You can start with using darker colours on the floor such as dark carpets and baseboards, then move into medium colour values for the walls, and finally light colours for the ceiling. This style of colouring in a room is largely inspired by the earth, with the ground being dark, the trees and buildings being medium shades, and the sky being sunny and bright.
Consult the colour wheel
Usually, analogous colour schemes (colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel, such as blue and green) are more relaxing and casual when they are combined. These combinations are usually best used in informal or private spaces such as a bedroom. Since the bedroom is the place you go to rest and recover, analogous colour schemes are a perfect choice in this regard.
Paint it black
Just like in clothing, black will never go out of style in the world of painting. Though you don’t have to think about painting an entire room black, it’s always a good idea to keep a little bit of black in each room. Maybe consider painting your kitchen cabinets black, or a nightstand in your bedroom. No matter what your decision, keeping a little black in each room will always look great.
Combine warm and cool
Contrasting warm and cool colours is not as difficult as you may think. Consider painting a room a cool grey and contrasting it with warmer, say honey-coloured accents to achieve a look that is both easy on the eyes and soothing for the soul.
Obey the rule of three
Always try to follow the rule of three and never use more than three different colours to make up your colour pallet. Using more than three colours can make a room look to busy and will give the appearance that its designer couldn’t make up his or her mind. You want your newly-designed room to breathe confidence and style, not have multiple personalities.
Consider your clothes
You may not think it, but looking at what colours you best like to wear is a great way to determine a colour pallet that will work for you. When you go shopping for clothes, you generally pick colours that you feel look good on you, so why not do the same when shopping for paint? Choosing a colour pallet that you associate with and feel good about is a wonderful way to make any room truly yours.