How To Make Paint Colour Work For You

Choosing the paint colours for your home is an exciting experience as you decide the overall look and design. However, as such a crucial feature of your home, it can be a daunting process to choose the right colour. 

It’s important to educate yourself about how colours work in the home, and you will then have the confidence to express yourself through colour. From neutral colours for their entire house to exciting statement colours, there’s endless opportunity when it comes to your home’s paint colours.  

How to pick your home’s paint colour 

There are some tried and true principles about using colour in interiors. One of the key things here is to understand the difference between dominant and recessive colours and how the application of colour can change the visual proportions of a room. Dominant colours like yellow and red will feel like they’re jumping forward, while recessive colours like purple and blue will feel like they’re going back. 

Contrasting light and dark colours

Pairing dominant and recessive colours can be used to create focal points in a room, create an illusion of depth and space, or draw attention to statement pieces. Light colours don’t necessarily make a small space appear bigger. For example, even using dark colours such as charcoal on all four walls and using good lighting to highlight objects away from the walls can actually diminish the boundaries with the room, making it appear spacious. The best interiors use colour on walls to provide interest and contrast. 

The effects of light

One of the classic mistakes people often make is to buy sample colour pots and paint them directly on their walls. However, the colour on your walls is influenced by the light that the room receives at any given time of the day, as well as your flooring colour, lighting and furnishings. Colour reflects all of these elements and will not stay the same throughout your house. 

The colour in the space

A clever trick is to paint your chosen colours on a piece of A3 cardboard and move the piece of cardboard throughout your house – place it on your walls, floors, windowsills – and view it in all different aspects of your house. 

Understanding the theory behind the use of colour in interiors and viewing your chosen colours in different aspects of your house will give you the confidence to make clever colour decisions. It’s about trusting yourself and ultimately, remembering that you can always paint again if the result is not what you had planned. 

The most popular home paint colours 

Whilst there’s always trending paint colours, there a few colours that remain most popular for home interiors and exteriors. These colours are most frequent in-home designs due to their versatile look that can be adapted to a range of styles and needs.  

  • White: White painted walls have become a classic for homes for good reason. You can rely on this colour to bounce light around the room to keep it feeling open, clean and airy. White paint in your home also provides a blank canvas for you to style, letting other elements stand out.  
  • Beige: Beige offers homeowners all the benefits of white’s neutral base, whilst providing warmth. With variations like eggshell and ecru, beige is a great option to create a comforting and inviting space that is a softer alternative to white. 
  • Grey: Many leading home design styles, such as Scandinavian, have incorporated the colour grey. This colour offers a range of shades from light to dark and creates a sophisticated and modern look in interiors and exteriors alike. 
  • Blue: Blue is a favourite palette for trending home styles like Hamptons, as it provides a calming and soothing colour that gives a rustic touch. This colour is especially popular in bedrooms and bathrooms. The array of shades can have different effects, with lighter shades of blue opening up spaces, while darker shades create a cosy and intimate atmosphere. 

Best paint colours for your home 

With G.J. Gardner Homes, our friendly design experts can help you decide the right colour palette for your home design.  Our customisable home designs offer you the freedom to find the right paint colours for your dream home. Get in touch today.  

Related articles

Forget the after-work gym drives or time spent stuck in commuters’ traffic to make it to your exercise class, home…

Sustainable home design is not a new concept to many homeowners and builders. The premise has been around for years….

A new year calls for new inspiration! Whether you are looking to design your very own home this year or…

Front and center, the façade of any home truly sets the scene for any home design. After all, it is…

Since the most sought-after homes today feel light, bright and open, our team is committed to design choices that will…

There’s nothing quite like the ultimate freedom that comes with calling acreage home. That’s why an increasing number of young…

With summer just around the corner and sizzling temperatures en route, the appeal of a pool in your very own…

Our open plan home designs make kitchens the heart of the home to gather, cook and unwind. Our most recent…

Your investment property design offers the opportunity to improve your long-term financial position by enhancing the rental appeal, increasing property…

Contemporary home designs focus on both form and function to create the ultimate living experience. Often recognised by features like…

Holiday at home with the grandeur and glamour of resort style homes. Influenced by the oversized floorplans of tropical resorts,…

From considered cabinetry to aesthetic accents like feature walls, the true secret to creating beautiful homes is in the details….

In today’s work culture, a home office isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. Home office setups aren’t just for…

Hamptons style has long been embraced by Australian home design trends; despite being sourced from a coastal community all the…

Pantry designs have soared in popularity over the last few years as home wellness trends thrive post-pandemic. G.J Gardner Homes…

With work-from-home becoming our new normal, the humble study nook has transformed from an accessory to an essential. Whether answering…

Nothing competes with the comfort and relaxation of unwinding in front of the TV, and in the age of streaming,…

G.J. Gardner Homes’ kitchen designs offer plenty of pantry ideas that can be easily customised to your design preferences. We…

What’s an Aussie home without a generous backyard to play, unwind and enjoy all year round? Alfresco spaces have become…

Introducing a new height of luxury With so many exciting home features on offer today – from stunning alfresco spaces…

Let’s take this outside As open plan living continues to become the new normal for house design, the role of…

An outdoor kitchen is the perfect space to create some of your home’s most memorable moments. From garden parties to…

Indoor plants are a simple yet effective way to bring more warmth to your home. Not only do indoor plants…

Kitchens are the heart of the home – as the central hub of your home, we know the kitchen living…

In recent years, Hamptons style homes have emerged as a beloved source of home inspiration – renowned for their innovative…

Designing a home is one of the most exciting, yet challenging projects we choose to take on in our lives….

If you’re embarking on your first home building journey, choosing the right tiling for your bathroom can often leave you…

Whether you’re after a year-round holiday feeling or a home design that compliments the climate; coastal style homes are a…

Why is choosing an interior colour scheme so important? When you walk into a house, and you feel a sense…

Entertaining in Australia usually means one thing – the outdoors. No matter the season, time of the day or size…

1. Grey, Grey & More Grey With Hamptons’ style being so popular over the last couple of years, the glamour…

The new bathroom is looking pretty schmick, and it’s time to decide on the all-important details. Selecting tapware for your…

Choosing the exterior colours of your new home can be one of the most challenging decisions that you make during…

In Australia, we wear our homes like a badge of honour. We want our suburbs, our streets and our houses…

The laundry tends to go unconsidered during the design process, but this room majorly impact your home’s performance.   Whilst…

As Australians, we love the outdoors. We love the sun, the fresh air, and the lush, feel-good greenery. That’s why…

There’s no denying that your bathrooms are extremely important areas of your home. Some think that a rain head and…

Choosing a colour palette for your home is a big decision. After all, it’s more than just deciding on a…

Hosting a dinner party? No matter what you do, everyone always ends up in the kitchen. Your guests are ether…

The Master Bedroom isn’t just any room in the house—it’s your private sanctuary. It should be your favourite room in…

Over the past 20 years, the kitchen has transformed from a hidden room in a home to a multi-generational, multi-purpose…

For a while now, an exclusive beachside community on the other side of the world has had a disproportionate impact…

From cladding to landscaping, windows and doors; a contemporary facade design will have your home crowned king of the neighbourhood. Read more!

Contact Us

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.