Choosing the right colours for your new home can be both exciting and overwhelming. You might have an idea of what you want or you might not even know where to start.
That’s why it’s important to trust the process and work with professional interior designers who will be able to guide you on the best colour selection so that everything works together seamlessly.
Interior designers are there to provide guidance, support, reassurance and advice. They will guide you through the colour selection process, every step of the way.
So, what can you do to ensure that you get the best results when choosing colours for your new home?
How an interior designer will assist you.
One of the first things that you need to understand is that you will work with an interior designer to help you with the colour selection process.
You’ll find that the builders you’ve chosen to build your new home will often have their own in-house interior designers or they’ll have the right connections to recommend a professional for just this purpose.
A professional interior designer will advise and suggest colours that work well together and those that don’t.
As part of the colour selection process, you’ll find that certain colours just won’t complement each other and if you use them together, you’ll end up with a clash that you may regret living with everyday.
Don’t worry though because a good professional interior designer will be perfectly honest with you if he or she knows that certain colours you’ve chosen just won’t work well together.
Instead, you’ll be given suggestions of different shades that will blend well and give your home that cohesive look that you’re after.
Place your trust in the whole colour selection process.
It’s important that you understand that there is a colour selection process and it’s highly recommended that you follow the guidance of your interior designer.
One part of this is process is understanding how colours work with each other. Remember that colours should complement each other and work together rather than fight each other.
For example, cool colours from that spectrum of the colour wheel should work together while mixing cool colours with warm colours could clash if the proportions are not considered.
You’ll also find that putting a cool colour next to a warm colour will actually change how each colour appears. This means that you’ll end up with a completely different look than you might have envisioned to start with.
If all of this sounds confusing, don’t worry. Your interior designers will be able to guide you here because they’re experts in the theory of colour.
Plus, they’ll be able to map it all out for you visually so that you can get a better picture of what the end result will look like.
Find some inspiration.
Once you’ve engaged an interior designer to help you with colour selection, the next step in the process is for you to do a little research and find some inspiration that will provide a starting point.
Have a look online to find examples of colour schemes that appeal to you. Pinterest is always a good place to start because you can take screenshots of colour schemes that you really like.
Another idea is to go to an online site that advertises existing homes for sale such as realestate.com.au and have a look at homes that have been renovated. Browse the images to get an idea of the type of designs that really pique your interest.
You could even bring in some photos of homes that you’ve visited that have some colour schemes that really resonate with you.
All of this can be a great starting point because you can bring the images that you’ve collected in with you to give the designers some idea of your own personal tastes.
Meet With The Interior Designer To Start The Colour Selection Process.
Once you’ve gathered your photos, colour swatches and anything else that you might have for inspiration, it’s time to meet with your interior designer to start the colour selection process.
This will include a step-by-step procedure from deciding the colour of the floor, the kitchen cabinetry and benchtops to the paint colours that will bring it all together.
Understand Current Trends vs Timeless Colour Schemes.
If you’re interested in current colour trends, you can find plenty of inspiration online on sites such as Wattle. But, before you decide that you really like the current Pantone ‘Peach Fuzz’ colour trend, consider how this is going to age with the years.
Do you really want to redecorate every year to stay relevant to the current trends or would it be better to stick to a more timeless colour palette?
Even if you do like following the trends, having a more neutral outline to work with can make it easy to change the look of your interiors just by swapping out some of your soft furnishings with the changing seasons.
This can be easily achieved with soft furnishings, artwork, materials and decor.
At the end of the day, this is a much more cost-effective way to change the look of your interiors year after year rather than having to repaint everything down the track.
So, have a think about your interiors not just for today but for a few years in the future.
Consider practical advice from top designers.
Most interior designers will tell you that for your interiors, you should stick to a maximum of three basic colours. And, these all need to work together.
But, this doesn’t mean that you should consider just three primary colours. The two main colours you select could be complimenting colours that are close to each other on the colour wheel.
These colours should cover the largest areas in the home so that you achieve a cohesive look that flows from one room to the next.
Then, you can have a bit of fun and choose a contrasting colour for smaller items to add a little interest. This could be the tap ware that you select, the handles you choose for the cabinetry or the soft furnishings you use to decorate your home.
You can even take this one step further and decorate with different shades of the same colour. But, make sure that each shade sits well with all the others. In other words, choose either cool shades or warm shades but avoid mixing the two.
Confused? Don’t worry.
If you’re a little confused, don’t worry. Professional interior designers will provide all the assistance that you need to achieve the perfect colour scheme for your new home.
All they need is a starting point so that they can then follow along the process and help you with your colour selection.
Most importantly, don’t be too structured in what you want. Instead, let yourself be guided by the professional designers who understand the concept of colour and know what works and what doesn’t.
Let’s Recap The Colour Selection Process.
When you follow a reasonably structured process, the task of selecting just the right colours for your new home becomes easy. So, let’s recap the process.
1. Start with some inspiration.
Before you come in to meet with your designers, collect some inspiration for the types of colours that you like. This could be in the form of photos or even colour swatches that you’ve collected from a paint shop or Bunnings.
2. Find colours that work well together.
At the meeting, your designers will look at your inspirations and let you know which colours will work well with each other and which ones are likely to clash.
3. Decide which colours to use in the main areas of your home.
Next, your designers will suggest which colours will work best on the main areas of your home such as the floors, the walls, the doors and the cabinetry. This is also the time that you’ll decide what colours you’ll want for the tiles as these will have a major visual impact on the overall interior.
4. Consider a complementary or contrasting colour for the trims.
The next step is to select either a complementary or contrasting colour for all the accents in your home. Once again, your designers will guide you on what will look good together.
5. Get a visual and adjust.
Your designers will provide you with a visual of how your colour choices will look when they’re applied to your home. This is the perfect time to make a few tweaks to ensure that everything looks great together.
6. Sign off on the colour selection scheme of your new home.
Once you’re happy with the colour selection and your designers agree that the colours you’ve chosen will work great together, you can sign off on it and feel confident that the choices you’ve made are perfect.
Trust your choices.
Don’t be tempted to change your mind after you get home. This is commonly known as buyer’s remorse. It’s when your brain throws up doubts about whether the choices you’ve made are right. And, it’s a common reaction for many people.
So, be prepared for some doubts but put your mind at rest because, if you’ve followed the process and listened to the advice from the professionals, your new home is going to be beautiful.
