Autumn brings so many colourful changes in the garden after the summer; as the flowers fade, new vibrant colours emerge, bright reds, burnt orange and strong yellows dominate the trees and shrubs around the garden and parkland. It is a time when we start to spend more time once more indoors as the temperatures are noticeably cooler. It is a time when we start to think about the home again and how we can make it feel warm and welcoming. Our attention moves towards adding colour and comfort to our homes.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing colour, the most important rule is that you must feel at ease with the colours you have chosen, it is more than just choosing a colour you like. You must consider a number of things before you start to add colour to each room.
The age & style of the property.
What is the main functionality of the room.
Ambience of the room being created.
Who uses the room.
How much light comes into a room.
It is important to make the house "flow" and by this I mean you can walk from one room to another without the feeling of stop-start, a jarring feeling that as one room abruptly ends another begins; you should try to create a home that as you move from one room to another there is a natural visual progression.
As tempting as colour charts can be, don't spend too long on choosing colours from them. The chart can often be a photographic image of the paint and will not be true to the colour of the paint. Although sometimes expensive, always buy a few paint samples and try them in your home. A large warehouse store will have a very different light to your own home so it will not offer a true reflection of how the paint will look in your home.
Be careful not to add too many colours into the room, for example painting a feature wall one colour, then the doors and woodwork another, and then a cornice or ceiling rose another. It will create a look that will be too fussy and cause conflict to the eye detracting the natural style of any architectural features.
The paint finish is equally important to the colour choice. Today many paint manufacturers offer different finishes, here are some of the most popular:
Gloss - A high sheen finish for interior and exterior woodwork and metal.
Estate Eggshell - Mid-sheen finish -Interior woodwork and metal including radiators, washable and robust.
Estate Emulsion -Chalky matt finish - Interior woodwork and metal including radiators.
Modern Emulsion - Washable matt finish - Walls and ceilings, including kitchens and bathrooms, hallways, children’s bedrooms and areas of high usage.
Dead Flat - A very matt finish- Interior woodwork, plaster and metal, including radiators.
