Spring has finally sprung, and brought with it the promise of new starts, along with the unmistakable impact of colour. You might find yourself itching to throw out the old, and bring in the new - not only in terms of spring cleaning, but also giving a refreshing lift in colour to mark the start of a new season. You've probably already seen my tips for transitioning your abode to a springtime sanctuary, but if a fuller colour palette overhaul is more on your mind, keep reading.
Unlike the decor of the past season, like layering in cosy winter cushions that so perfectly pair themselves with rainy days and less than ideal weather, colouring your home is a decision that may not be made so easily. I’ve put my best tips for choosing a beautiful colour scheme for your home interior so you can enjoy the process and find the right palette for your personality and indoor space.
First, a few ground rules for finding your home's entire colour palette. You'll want it to tell a story and for each room to speak to each other. Like any good story, it should be consistent yet still full of little surprises that keep the interests of the reader.
This important, not only from a design perspective, but because it ensures versatility to change your spaces around, allowing you to swap pieces from one room to the next. It may feel like this narrows your options, but it's quite the contrary. You can always layer in new colours from space to space, while staying true to your underlying staple colours.
A good rule of thumb is to think practically about how you want each room's inhabitants to feel when they're in it. Red and Yellow are very urgent colour, and they make you hungry (which is why fast food chains like McDonald's and Hungry Jacks use them). That doesn't mean you shouldn't use these colours, it's just a matter of to what degree. Maybe you love yellow, but don't feel comfortable investing in a yellow sofa. Why not try bringing it in instead with some brass hardware, which acts like jewellery for the home?
Greys with blue or green undertones will leave you feeling calm and relaxed. Just remember, even though grey is all the rage, it can be quite moody and is not always the easiest to live with. That's why it's so important to pay close attention to the colours that make you most happy and incorporate those hues into your overall palette.
Your perfect whole house colour palette example are closer than you think.
Open the door to your wardrobe and see what hues greet your eyes. If you love what you see, the visuals will more than likely thrill you as you see them echoed in your home decor. I've brought this tip to many of my clients’ homes throughout my work for a fresh take that really makes the space theirs - and have loved seeing the joyful response and relief as they realise that their personal clothing style and home decor is something that seamlessly intertwines to bring them a space they love to be in. It’s incredible just how much the similarities are - so make sure to study your wardrobe and style before making an important investment. Your future self will thank you tenfold!
If you’re still not inspired, look to Pinterest for more cues
Colour is so incredibly powerful that it speaks directly to our mood and psyche. That’s why mood boards are so fantastic food choosing colour schemes - putting the visuals that resonate with you in one informative feast for the eyes. Pinterest is the perfect platform for finding what colour moods work for you -letting you scan your existing boards, or create entirely new ones that reveal what hues and shades you love to be around. This will more than likely give you the insight you need to choose your perfect wall colour palette. For a more literal try-on, E-Design could give you the reassurance that you need to take the green light on committing to a colour, and leave room for accents of brighter, bolder splashes to express yourself through.
Pro tip: if you’re stuck, go for neutrals. These are the perfect base layer for adding colour and texture to your home, while keeping it chic and stylish as the years go on.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, and have a particular colour hue that you just can’t take your eyes off, consider doing a feature wall in that colour and then ask to have a tiny fraction of mixed in with a low VOC white paint. Your wall colour will be all yours, and leave you free to bring forth complementary colours from your mood boards through accessories and stylish pieces that add your character to your abode.
Worried that interior colour trends 2019 won’t last? Look to kitchen colours.
The hot colour trend of 2019 may be Living Coral, but how long will that last, you ask?
Fun fact: of all interior colour trends, kitchen colour trends have the longest shelf life. Lasting an entire decade, colour schemes trending now in kitchen spaces are a clever way to make sure you’re staying stylish far into the future. Take inspiration for the forecasted palettes within these spaces and apply it to other parts of your house - you won’t go wrong.
The chic white kitchen has been around for awhile, and despite what some may say in magazines, it isn't going anywhere. But that doesn't mean that adding a colour is seriously risky, it truely isn't.
The addition of colour to kitchens is such an exciting development because it really demonstrates that we don't have to live in big white boxes to guarantee we're not wasting our money when we embark on home improvements. Colour is timeless and applied in a way that makes you happy means that it is a good investment.
If you’re truly stuck, seek the well-trained eye and mind of a professional. With both expert advice and creative flair, your home will both resonate with you and the wonderful world of design.
Demystifying the process of interior colour palette choices is an absolute delight for KCID. Get in touch if you’d like expert guidance on the perfect colour scheme for your home - we’d love to help.