Do it yourself

Colour your world!

Selecting colours for your home seems to be an easy task for some, while others find it difficult and go through multiple sample pots trying to find the perfect white. If this is you, I have some tips that should help make your decision quick and with confidence!

Firstly, do a little research. Flip through some magazines and have a browse online, get an idea of what you like and what style you are trying to achieve. This will provide you with a basic palette of colours you might wish to work with.

Talk to the experts. Your local paint store is the perfect place to start. Working with paint all day means they tend to have a good grasp on colour and what is trending. Some stores have qualified colour stylists or interior decorators working for them also. Their knowledge could be invaluable to you.

Minimise your choices. The huge amount of colours to choose from makes it rather daunting to select just one. I find the best way is to collect all the colour chips you like, it doesn’t matter how many. Place them all on the wall at home and stand back, take a good look. Then, simply decide what you like least and remove.

For example – I like “this” better than “that”. Remove “that” from the wall and continue. Using this method, minimise your choices to three maximum. It only takes minutes.

Always try it first. Sample pots are essential. Even if you are 100 per cent sold on a colour, I would always recommend trying a sample pot first. It saves time, money and disappointment. The key here is to paint a large patch on the wall, the bigger the better. Live with it for a few days, see it in different light. It is the only way to give a true indication of how the colour will look.

Another great tip is to paint a large piece of cardboard that you can move around the house so you can see how the colour changes room to room. You can ask for palette sheets at your local paint store.

Lastly, trust your instincts. Remember your home is a representation of yourself and your family so you don’t necessarily need to follow trends. In the end, you know what you like, so trust that the end result will be great and if not, all it takes is a coat of paint!

If after all that you are still having trouble, I would recommend the Haymes Colour Stylist service. They’ll be able to help you out.

For more colour advice please come and speak to me at Haymes Paintright Southbank.