12 Ways You Can Pick the Right Colours for the Exterior and Interior of Your Home
The world is certainly beautiful and colourful. Unfortunately, many of us do not take the time to appreciate all the wonderful colours around us and the impact they can have on our emotional wellbeing. There are a lot of scientific theories which suggest that the shades, tints, and colours of your home will greatly influence how you feel. Many of us do not have the time paint our homes due to our busy schedules. At Men Behaving Handy we can get those painting jobs done for you with an experienced handyman.
The brain has unique ways of processing the colours we see around us. You can give your home a specific effect by using certain colours or even mixing colours. This will let you express who you are by using your own creativity and originality. Most importantly, you will feel more comfortable in your home. Then everyone who visits your home will get a sense of your unique personality.
Choosing the Right Colour Palette
You could look at all the different colour swatches to hopefully find a colour scheme that you like. But this can be overwhelming because there are so many swatches to choose from. If you want to save time and narrow down your search, there are some other options available to help you with this. They are as follows:
1) Historical Reference
Let’s say that you have an old home that you want to paint. A good colour scheme for the paint would be one that is historically accurate to the house. In other words, which paint colours were used back when the house was first built? You should be able to find a historic colour chart online to help you with this. You can also just hire an expert to examine the existing paint chips of the house. They will be able to tell you which colour scheme was used. Once you find out which colour scheme it was, you can recreate it with a fresh coat of paint over the old paint.
2) Consider the Neighbourhood
What colours are the other houses in your neighbourhood? If you can make your house a different colour, it will stand out more amongst the rest. This will give your home additional value if the colour fits well. For example, if each house on your street is white then you should paint your house a light bluish colour. That way, it still blends well while standing out at the same time.
3) No More Than Three Colours
You should only use up to three paint colours for your home. Use one colour for the walls, the second colour for the trim, and the final colour for the accents. For most homes, three colours will be the most effective for making it stand out. However, you don’t always have to limit yourself to three colours. If you use odd numbers for the number of colour variations, it will be processed in people’s brains just the same. You can’t obviously use just one colour for your entire home, so three is the minimum number of colours you should use. Odd numbers will keep the visual appeal alive.
4) Start with the Floor
You should consider your flooring when putting together your colour palette. The colour of your floor has a significant effect on the other colours that you choose. It will also influence the artwork, textures, tones, and accents that you choose as well. That is why you should focus on the colour of your floor first and then gradually move upward. This will make it easier to choose colours which contrast or compliment the floor colour.
5) Pick a Ceiling Matt
When you go to paint your ceilings, you need a matt emulsion finish to keep them looking seamless. Otherwise, the gloss paint will make every small imperfection of the ceiling become visible. You will never get a seamless appearance on your ceiling with gloss paint. If all the imperfections are showing, people will be staring at them and not in a good way. Always aim for getting a seamless look.
6) Use One Tone Only
You don’t have to paint all your interior walls the same colour. The only thing that should match is the tone because that will make the living areas more unified. You can have a great looking feature wall if it goes well with the rooms nearby.
7) Texture-style Paint
Rather than using standard paint, use textured paint instead. It will give your living space another dimension to it. You can choose from different levels of thickness. Some will need a roller for the application while others will need a trowel, depending on the thickness. The result will be a wall that has tone variations and a unique stone or silky effect to it.
8) Use Outdoor Colours
If you want to make your home feel more spacious and lively, use outdoor colours on the interior. You could use green and blue colours to match your hedge and pool; respectively. Sandstone will also give the interior an earthy tone to it. In the end, your home will feel larger and more harmonious than ever.
9) Keep the Drama Balanced
If you have decorated your home with vibrant artwork and colourful knickknacks, try to balance these colours out with a plain white colour for your ceilings and walls. With plain walls, you can add all sorts of colourful decorations to any room and it will look pleasing to the eye.
10) Darker Tones
Darker tones create a warmer and cosy atmosphere to the home. Your living room could use colours like burnt oranges or deep reds, for example. If you have staircases or other structural pieces, darker tones will allow them to blend better with the other colours around them.
11) Use Nature as Your Inspiration
Does your home exist in a unique setting? Take advantage of the colour scheme of this setting. If you live by the sea, use turquoise or aqua blue colours. If you live in the woods, use browns and greens to represent the colours of bushes and trees. Just remember to allow enough natural lighting into your home to make the colours stand out. For example, use insect screens on your windows and doors. They will keep bugs out while allowing light to come through.
12) Durable Skirting Boards
Apply enamel paint to your skirting boards to make them more durable. If you have darker colours on your wall, then white skirting boards will blend better. If you have lighter colours on your wall, use darker or lighter colours for the skirting boards.
If you require any assistance with any of the painting jobs mentioned in this article give us a call and find out how a handyman from Men Behaving Handy can help. We have handymen all over Australia so no matter your location I am sure we will be able to help! Contact us today to speak to a member of our team.