Five professionals share their top tips to choose the perfect colour scheme

 

1. I always recommend going with what you are naturally drawn to rather than following a “trend” that you may not be comfortable with. Remember though to have some fun! Colour is such a wonderful, emotionally evoking medium that can easily be changed if need be. — Kathleen Ferguson, Inspirations

2. Don’t be afraid to combine colours that you haven’t seen used before. Some of the most amazing designs we’re now seeing in fashion and interiors are where designers are really pulling down barriers and pushing boundaries with blending colours (whether clean and bright colours alongside muted greyed tones or colours that we would have traditionally seen as clashing). — Andrea Lucena-Orr, Dulux colour expert.

3. I always suggest getting three colours or less (too many is confusing), and testing the colours on a white background. Before making your decision, live with it for a week to see how the mood of the paint changes in different light.

Test the paint on an A4 card rather than just straight on the wall, so you can move the card to different walls in the room and test how it looks with different light reflections depending on where it is positioned.

Once you’re happy with your short list of colours, paint two at a time on your wall and leave them for a week, so you can get used to the colour to see if it sits well in the space. — Shaynna Blaze, Taubmans ambassador and colour creative director and a judge on The Block.

4. Look at your existing elements and design style (such as) . . . floor coverings, laminates, tiles, etc. The palette needs to make sense with what you have. And, be aware of light and shade influencing saturation or reflection of colour. — Kristin Garland, Painted Earth.

5. Do what you love! Choose a hue that speaks to you and if in doubt, go for a lighter shade that will open up your space and create a neutral backdrop for living. — Bronwyn Riedel, Bauwerk.  

 

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