Decorating your home or business? How to achieve the perfect colour scheme.

Starting to paint without having a colour scheme in place can be disastrous.  Many people do not appreciate that colours influence mood and behaviour as well as making your space look like you want it to.

Your colour choices may be limited due to furnishings that are already in place, such as carpets or fixed items.  However, this need not hold you back.  Using a colour wheel can be helpful as you can look at what colours go together and make a decision on whether to go down the tonal, harmonious or complementary route.

Which way to go?

• Tonal – this involves the use of mainly one colour throughout the space. More than one colour may be used but all will have a similar tonal depth.  A lot of people go for this easy option.
• Harmonious – here you go for colours which are next to each other on the colour wheel. The end result is a scheme that is easy to live with and restful.  Great for domestic bedrooms or lounge areas.
• Complementary – these are contrasting colours that lie opposite each other on the colour wheel. They can inject a lot of life and vibrancy into a scheme and tend to be seen as far more bold.  If you are looking to make an impact, this may be the way to go, particularly in a business setting.

It’s all about creating a mood

For a business, you may want to follow your brand colours, changing them in accordance  with the three options above.  Alternatively, think about how you want people to feel when they come into the painted area.  Warm colours are perfect in dining areas or rooms where people will get together.

Blues and sea-greens inspire a relaxing and stress-free area so can work well in bathrooms, spas or even offices.  Make the whole setting more formal by adding in dark navy blues.  This can work well in board rooms or business-related areas.

Hotels or places that provide accommodation can provide their guests with a pleasant and contemporary look by using neutral paint as a background and adding dramatically coloured accessories such as curtains, throws, cushions and even upholstery.

A different colour for every room?

If you love colour you may be tempted to use a different scheme for each room.  Whilst this can work in a domestic setting, particularly if you are aiming for a bohemian look, it would not suit a business environment unless the brand reflects this.

If you want to stick with one scheme throughout, pull it together by using one colour for the entire building and then add feature walls or decorations to add character.

If you want to veer away from the ‘neutral’ look, then harmonious colours throughout may be your thing.  For instance, if you want one room to be grey, the one adjacent to it could be a soft blue and the next a light purple.  If you are not sure what to go for, always go back to your colour wheel.  Alternatively, if your company colours are blue, use a different shade of it in each room of your offices.  This works well if rooms open into each other as you don’t get any clashing.  If you have inherited wallpaper, pick out one of the colours from it to paint the rooms next door.

As for woodwork, keep it all the same.  This may be white or cream, depending upon your wall colours or you may go for a lighter shade of your master colour, using the same on the ceiling i.e. shades of blue on the walls and a cream/white with a hint of blue on the woodwork.

You can keep up with trends without spending a fortune.  Keep floor coverings and sofas or desks the same and simply change the walls around them.  Add a few new accessories and off you go!