Get Colour Confident Choosing Paint Colour

Are you agonising over choosing paint colours? We’ve got just what you need to get colour confident.

Choosing a colour palette for painting your home can seem like a huge commitment, with endless questions that keep you from making a decision. Should you stick to neutrals? Splash out with your favourite shades? How will it all tie in together? Stop right there, rewind and get back to the most important question of all. Which colours make you feel good? That’s all that really matters, in creating the home of your dreams. There are no rules and, with a few tips and some trusty paint tester pots, colour confidence is yours for the taking.

How to choose the right paint colour

It’s far too easy to spend hours scrolling through ideas for colour schemes. While this is great for inspiration, have you lost your own ideas along the way? At the end of the day, it’s your house and the most important thing is that you love the shades you choose. Think about what makes you feel happy, from the clothes you wear to the holidays you take. Colour evokes emotion and the aim is to ensure your home offers the right ambience for you, so go for it with your favourites! 

There’s no need to play it safe if bold hues speak to you either, as a paint tester helps to ensure that what you love looks just as great on your walls, before you take a brush to them. The key is to create a cohesive look with your colour palette, not to deprive yourself of what you like, and this is easily achieved with various schemes.

For example, for a modern, clean look, choose a monochromatic colour scheme, by blending different shades of the same colour.  A harmonious scheme uses shades that sit next to each other on the colour wheel, while a complementary one allows you to play with the energetic, high contrast of opposing colours. Whether you love Salsa Red, Sea Blue or Fine Cream, there’s a scheme or technique to tie your favourites into your design.

Using paint tester pots

When you’re in the process of choosing paint colours, there’s an easy way to know whether or not they’re right for your home. Paint tester pots are the magic tools that let you try out your ideas before you commit. Using them helps you to decide on the right shades, but also ensures that you work with your space in the most effective way. Best of all, you can confidently try out your most outlandish ideas without fear, to give yourself a boost of colour confidence.

So, gather a collection of paint testers in a range of shades and get ready for some colourful fun. Then, simply apply two coats of paint to pieces of A4 lining paper. Remember that wet paint looks very different to dry paint, so wait until your samples are completely dry before testing the colours. Then, all you need to do is hang the sample papers on different walls to see which type of mood and design appeal your choices enhance.

How paint tester samples help you work with your space

Once you’ve got an idea of how your chosen colours work in your space, it’s important to hang the samples on different walls throughout the day and night, to check how they look in changing light conditions. Light can make quite a difference in how colours appear and particularly influences shades of white. For example, in which direction do your rooms face? 

If you’re painting north-facing rooms, most colours will appear slightly colder and darker, due to cooler natural light. Therefore, you might wish to use warmer shades like gold and yellow tones. South-facing rooms benefit from strong natural light, so all your favourites should work. No matter which way your rooms face, viewing samples under a variety of light conditions ensures your colour palette makes the most of natural light throughout the home.

Do you have statement pieces or fixtures in your home to work around? Move your samples next to artwork, behind furniture or just above the floors to see what they look like with your colour choices. It’s also a good idea to stand back and view a colour from adjoining rooms, if they’re visible at the same time from certain areas throughout the house. Have fun with the process by mixing and matching as much as you like until the right combinations appear. Don’t second guess your instincts, as only you know what’s right for you!

Get your Dulux paint tester pot

Are you ready to start picking your testers? It’s easy to order Dulux testers online and all 30ml testers bought on the site qualify for free delivery. In fact, you can start right now by finding your favourites on our colour page. Alternatively, pop into a Dulux Decorator Centre or pick some up from your local retailer.

Now that you can stop agonising over choosing paint colours, it’s time to get back to creating that home of your dreams with full colour confidence.