"Colour Dilemma's"

I often get asked which Colours do you work best with or which Colours do you steer away from...My answer is Simple - I love Colour and I am not afraid of it. I can work with any Colour...or should I say I can make any Colour Work. If you use simple guide-lines like "Lighting"; "Basic Colour Rules" and lastly taking into consideration the other contributing "Design Elements" in the Room - You should be fine.

I often get handed a Picture from a Magazine or Internet and then get asked to match up the Colour on the Wall.

FOR EXAMPLE : Take these Pictures and Match up the "Chartreuse Green" that's on the Wall.

The first thing I consider is Lighting - You will notice this room has a lot of "Uplighting"-Therefore all the Light is bouncing towards the Ceiling. To brighten up the Room I would suggest that the Ceiling be Painted White as this also Opens the Room up allowing it to appear Larger. The other "Basic Colour Rules"are :

1)Ceiling Colour

2)Floor Colour

3)Furniture/Softs/Accessories Colour

4)Ect...

These need to tie in with the Choice of Colour....ie: They need to Compliment or Contrast off each other.

You will notice that "Grey" Tones work very well with Chartreuse or Lime Greens. White is a Perfect "Accent/Back-drop" Colour and the "Gold" also adds not only "Glamour" but is included as a "Statement" Colour...to create a Stir.

The Elements of Design are always important - Line;Colour;Flow and Layout of a Room. You will see that the "Grey" in the Sofa is the grounding Colour as this is used to tie the "Colour Scheme" together. The Wall Colour is used as a "Back-drop/Accent" Colour so that everything placed around it bounces right back at you...The Black and White Frames on the Wall once again create "Statements" and are accentuated by the Wall Colour. The Patterned Carpet and Scatters add Texture and Print - which in-turn creates depth and balance to the Room.

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/

Margarita 2026-20 (Benjamin Moore)
70 YY 39/613 (Dulux)
8077-5 Lime Gold (Dekade Paints)





These are just a few Colour Palettes I have matched them up to.

Hope you have Fun Colour Matching. 'Til next time...FK:-)

"Trial and Error"

Choosing Colours can be such a daunting task. There are so many factors which have to be taken into consideration like:
1)Lighting : The light in which you viewed the colour in the Store is normally "White" Light - Check your Lighting at Home. We often use Low/Yellow Lighting in our Homes - Therefore this will affect the Colour on the Wall.
2)Flooring: The Colour of the Floor generally affects the Wall Colour when "Light" bounces off the Floor and back onto the Wall. (eg: a terracotta floor tile tends to change the colour to a more warmer shade. White Tiles generally change the colour to a cooler shade)
3)Space : The size of the Room also can affect the Colour. If you have a small room then darker Colours tend to make the Room appear even smaller. High Ceilings also affect Colour as this draws in a lot of Light and sometimes "Lighter" colours appear "White" in appearance.

250ml Paint Tester Pots

Colour Cards are not always accurate

We cannot rely on the Colour Cards as they are not always accurate. The best thing "paint manufacturers" could have ever introduced are "Paint Tester Pots" - I often use these when I am advising on Colour. Be it Interior or Exterior. I normally  paint an A3 size "Triplex Board" with various Colour options. I use board because not only can you move these around but you don't have to paint an undercoat to hide the previous wall Colour. It is also very useful when working on projects whereby "Fixtures" are not in place yet - You create a visual for Clients and it helps when Contractors are pushing you for a "Colour choice". This process in turn saves you as the Painters do not have to return to complete the job and their production is not delayed.



"Choosing Colours can be a daunting Task"



"Use plain white Triplex Board to Test Colours"

So come on what are you waiting for - go out and try it. Not only will you look at colour in a different light but you will have great fun making your selection in the process. Happy painting:-)...'Til next time...FK.

TIP: With all your un-used Boards why not Frame them and use them as Artwork