Colour your world, but avoid these key mistakes
Choosing colours is the biggest challenge consumers face when undertaking a paint project, suggests feedback from employees at Dulux Paints’ 250 stores across Canada.
“Many people are so afraid of change, they end up sticking with the same colours for years,” Dulux spokesman Martin Tustin-Fuchs says. “Yet, all they often need is a bit of guidance to get out of their colour rut and adopt a more current look.”
Here are some of the mistakes people make when it comes to choosing colours — according to Dulux — and how to avoid them:
Out of context: Taping a small swatch to a wall won’t help choose the right colour. Examine paint chips against everything in the room at different times of day, in direct, indirect and artificial light.
Playing it safe with neutrals: While neutrals are popular, there are times when a more saturated colour may bring out the best in a room. If you really want neutral, try newer trends: whites, beiges or greys that are infused with a small amount of colour such as lilac, sage or blue. Take a neutral room up a notch by painting an accent wall a deeper shade of the wall colour.
Fear of multiple colours: Using two or three shades can turn a room from ordinary to extraordinary. A good rule of thumb is to coat twothirds of the room in a base colour and introduce other colours in smaller quantities.
Failing to consider function: Will you be playing, sleeping, eating or relaxing in the space? Yellow, red and orange, as well as soft grey, violet, blue and green are more conducive to appetite-building, entertaining and conversation, making them good for the kitchen and other main-floor living space. Bright red will energize and stimulate children in a playroom, while cooler blues have a calming, serene effect ideal for a bedroom.