How To Choose The Right Colour And Design Style For Your Interiors

The colour palette you choose along with the decorating style is crucial when deciding your home interiors. The process of discovering your decorating style can be fun and enriching. So where do you begin? Well cultivating your style is a gradual process and by taking some time you can come up with an end result that will please you instead of randomly purchasing furniture, paints, etc. without a plan.

Picking the colour palette for your room is a very important design decision you need to make.

From the paint used on the walls, the colour of the fabric used on furniture, to the other small ornaments you would like to add, colour plays a lasting effect on how your home feels and looks to the naked eye.

In this blog, we will understand the basic pointers you must keep in mind regarding colours, different design styles, and other interior tips. We believe your home should be a reflection of who you are at the deepest level. Instead of following the norm let your personality stand out with respect to your interiors.

Start With A Style Silhouette

Design cues can come from the most surprising places and things.  Often, there’s a little something, a detail or a twist, that resonates with you and feels interesting.  So the next thing I recommend is to walk around your home, go through your decor closet, and gather anything that captures the look and feel you love.

Bring those things together in one area of your home and create a styled vignette, which is basically an arrangement of objects that tells a story about who you are.

A while back, I realized the little corner of our dining room, below, made me happy every time I walked by. So whenever I found myself getting distracted by what others were doing, I referred to this space. It reminded me of the overall vibe, tone, and colour scheme I want to achieve in our home.

I know I’m happiest when I decorate in a way that expresses my own personal taste and style. You can see that I’m drawn to a light, bright, and decidedly beachy look!

In many ways, a colour wheel is a decorator’s best friend. Once you understand the basics, the tool can be very valuable when choosing a colour for your home. Here are the key points you should know to help you work with colour without having to learn about colour theory.

As you’re flicking through the colour wheel, it’s a good idea to consider how the colour affects the space and mood of your room. Different temperatures, tones and shades will also affect how a person feels in the interior.

Warm colours tend to be more vibrant and tend to inspire confidence. These colours typically work well in dining and entertaining spaces as they are inviting and promote intimacy. Cooler colours on the other hand are often used to create a relaxed mood and bring calm to space. Natural colour tones can also achieve a relaxed, peaceful environment. 

Colour can also be used to help enhance the feeling of space or make it feel smaller. Light colours, for example, tend to feel more spacious and airy than darker tones. Whereas, warm colours typically make a small space feel even smaller and somewhat claustrophobic. 

How to Decorate with a Monochromatic Palette

A monochromatic interior is relatively easy to achieve and can be visually effective. However, it can also appear on the boring side if you simply just stick to one colour. Unless you’re a devoted minimalist of course!

If you’re leaning towards a monochromatic colour scheme, use a selection of different tones and tints of the one colour throughout the space. To further add interest and depth, you can also look at incorporating prints, patterns and textures of the tones in elements such as furniture and fabrics.

How to Decorate with a Complimentary Colour Palette

If you like contrasting colours, an interior with a complimentary colour palette will likely appeal to you. Start by choosing colours on the opposite side of the colour wheel. While the two colours will bounce off each of their intensities, they can be balanced and soothing too.

You can also mix a warm colour with a cool colour. For example, a room painted in a cool, light blue can be brought to life with pops of bold orange. This is certainly not a colour scheme for minimalists, but it can be a great way to add interest in your home.

How to Decorate with an Analogous Colour Palette

A colour scheme that’s less contrasting than complimentary is the analogous palette where all the colours work in harmony with each other. With the help of the colour wheel, this scheme can be easily achieved throughout your interior.

By selecting two or three slices of your colour wheel, you’ll be choosing hues that are from a similar family to achieve a cohesive look. For example, if you’ve selected blue as your main colour, you can continue the palette with teals and greens. Mixing in different textured fabrics and finishes will further enrich the colour palette. Remember to bring visual relief into the palette through neutrals and materials such as timber or stone.

Theory aside, there are a few valuable tips to help you ensure you’re choosing the right colour for your interior. 

Seek Inspiration Far & Wide

If you don’t have a colour wheel handy, the first step to choosing the right colours for your interior, before you even walk into a paint store, should be sourcing inspiration far and wide. Start with what you already have in the room. Look at the upholstery of your furnishings, the flooring and your accessories including artwork. Draw clues from your interior to help strengthen your colour palette.

Explore magazines, Pinterest, Houzz and other design blogs for colour inspiration. It may be helpful to put together a mood board to ensure your colour palette is coherent with the rest of your interior. 

Keep Selecting Personal Colours

Finding a complementary colour palette is one thing, and liking it is another. Remember, you’re going to have to live with your colour choice for some time unless you want to experience the expense of redecorating again soon.

Don’t get too hung up on the colour wheel or trends. Make sure your colour selection is in line with your personal tastes too.