Knowing how to choose the right colors for the rooms takes time and practice. Before choosing the color, think about the environment you want to create. Some colors weigh down, while others lighten and make the whole thing more airy. There are also differences in how warm, cool and neutral colors affect the look of a room.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Visual Weight
Step 1. Make a small room larger by painting the walls a light color
A small bathroom or living room that is too full will look larger if you paint it white or a pastel tint. Cool pastel colors are very effective for giving a larger effect to a room.
Step 2. You can also give a widening effect by matching the color of the walls with that of the furniture
The furniture does not need to be exactly the same color as the walls, but placing furniture with shades that recall that shade will give greater harmony and the space will appear larger and more open than it really is.
Step 3. Add visual weight to a wall by choosing vivid and bright colors
Bright colors attract attention. If you want to emphasize the walls, a particular wall or ceiling, use a more vivid color than the others in the room.
Step 4. Reduce visual weight by choosing neutral colors
Neutral colors, especially shades of white, fade into the background. Consequently they give less prominence to the surface on which they are laid, giving it a reduced visual weight.
Step 5. Paint the shorter walls of a narrow room with a darker shade than that used for long walls
This technique makes the dark walls appear to recede from the rest, creates an illusion of greater breadth and balances the proportions of the room.
Step 6. Keep attention on the walls by painting the ceiling in a dark color
The darker shades keep the eye on the level of the head, then towards the walls and furniture. However, if they are on a low ceiling, dark colors can make the environment more oppressive.
Step 7. Create the illusion of height by painting the ceiling a light color
The light colors on the ceiling attract attention and also make the room seem taller than it actually is, which makes them suitable for low to medium height ceilings.
Method 2 of 4: Warm Colors
Step 1. Choose a warm color to give a feeling of energy and concentration
Warm colors make a room cozy and welcoming. In fact, the muted and dark tones give the environment a more comfortable effect, while the brighter ones can seem noisy and chaotic if used excessively.
Step 2. Consider painting the walls a brown red to create a warm and inviting environment
This color automatically gives a feeling of comfort to most people. Its darker shade, in fact, creates a more intimate atmosphere, increasing the feeling of intimacy.
Step 3. Avoid red on ceilings
It can feel heavy and overwhelming.
Step 4. Add a delicate touch to any room with a light pink color on the walls or ceiling
Pink is delicate and feminine and usually looks great in a girl's room. Pink is also good for the bathroom, because the light colors are in harmony with the various skin tones.
Step 5. Create warmth in a room with burnt orange
Like brown reds, burnt orange combines the strong character of a dark color with the natural warmth of the warmer shade in the middle of the color spectrum, creating an intimate and comfortable environment.
Step 6. Add peach tones to brighten a room
The peach tones give vitality to the skin tones, so they are very suitable in the bathroom.
Step 7. Light up a room using yellow on the walls or ceiling
Often yellow looks brighter than white and is a good solution for low-light rooms especially in lighter shades, while golden ones make the room warmer.
Step 8. You could use vivid shades of red, pink or orange for details and details
They are colors that can seem exaggerated if they fill the room too much, so if you paint all the walls this way, you risk creating an effect that is too chaotic and unpleasant. So, you can add some accent with these shades (for example, with sofa cushions, curtains and knick-knacks) or you can use them to paint one wall, making the other three a more subdued color.
Method 3 of 4: Cold Colors
Step 1. Cool colors create a relaxing effect
The lighter shades give a feeling of freshness and cleanliness, while the darker ones can be almost therapeutic.
Step 2. Paint a room green to give it a natural look
Green is the predominant color in nature and easily matches most rooms. Green walls give a feeling of calm and security, but they can also reflect little light and turn off the skin tone, especially if the ceiling is green. It is therefore better not to use green for the bathroom.
Step 3. Make a room full of peace by painting the ceiling blue
Light shades have a fresh and heavenly look, while dark ones lower the ceiling and, therefore, are suitable for high rooms.
Step 4. Use purple for serenity
Purple is regal and romantic. It has less energy than red but more than blue. As a result, the purple walls give the room a feeling of balance and harmony.
Method 4 of 4: Neutral Colors
Step 1. If you don't want to complicate your life, use neutral colors
They include shades of white, gray, black and some types of brown. They harmonize with almost everything around them and facilitate changes in furniture for owners and interior decorators.
Step 2. Use white to create a blank background
The white on the ceilings reflects light and reduces shadows, making the room seem more open. The white on the walls also enlarges the room and makes it neutral. This shade offers great versatility in the combinations of furniture and accessories.
Step 3. Paint a high ceiling black or dark brown, especially if there is any exposed plumbing
Dark colors camouflage any protruding pipes and direct the eye down the room. Avoid using these colors on the walls, as they can be threatening and give a theatrical atmosphere.
Step 4. Create shadows by painting the ceiling or walls gray
Gray adds some theatricality without being too intense. It can also inspire your creativity.
Step 5. If you are looking for a warmer neutral color, choose brown
It will create a warm and safe atmosphere. Mid-shades and dark shades are particularly warm, while muted shades will look natural and neutral.
Advice
- If you are unsure of a color, try using it with just a few accents instead of using it as a base color. For example, if blue-green appeals to you but you are not sure if you like it on all the walls, choose another base color and buy blue-green accessories (carpets, paintings, curtains) with which to decorate the room.
- Before choosing a color, consider the function of the room. A bedroom is for relaxation and rest, which would be difficult with a bright red. Similarly, a living room must inspire comfort and a sense of recollection, so warm colors are better than cold tones of blue.
Warnings
- Remember that colors appear different depending on the type of lighting. Before deciding, experiment with color swatches using fluorescent, incandescent, and natural light to get a more confident idea of what the color will look like on the walls.
- Remember to always use primer. A white or colored primer should be applied on the walls before the chosen color, otherwise the previous one could come out and change the result of the new paint.
