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Choosing the right colours for your home

Tuesday 17 November 2015

When I was growing up, home decorating was a pretty straight forward exercise. Every couple of years the entire house would get a 'freshening up' with a coat of magnolia paint and generally that was it for another few years! Things have changed a lot since then and from my experience working as an interior decorator in Cork, I can see that people are getting a little bolder when it comes to choosing colours for their homes. Home owners nowadays are looking to put their own stamp on their home and colour is a great way of making your home unique - when you get it right that is!


I think it's safe to say that most of us like a splash of colour in our homes but the challenge of choosing colours is one that many of us find extremely daunting. Having a wider choice of colour of course makes the task even more difficult. We have all at some time taken inspiration either from someone else's home, TV or a stunning look in a magazine that we have wanted to replicate in own our homes - but unfortunately too often we are left feeling underwhelmed with the finished look. It could be as simple as going a shade too dark or too light, but it alters the entire look and feel of the space. Good quality paints don't come cheap and so when we do get it wrong, we tend to have to grin and bear it and live with a look we hate for a couple of years!


Due to the fear of getting it wrong, many of us just tend to play it safe using whites, creams and neutrals - but we underestimate the influence colour has on our lives. Colour has the power to transform not only our homes but the way we feel. The reason why we may feel calm in one place and uneasy in another is often a question of hue and tone of a specific colour. With so many hues and tones of each colour now readily available, it is hugely important to choose your colour very carefully!


People tend to associate pastel colours with Spring/Summer but this is not always the case. This winter (2015/16)  a pinkish blush tone is emerging in place of grey. Working with this colour is not as difficult as you may think and it looks great when incorporated with similar hues and tones. The most important thing to consider is how colour moves through your home and the effect it has during different times of the day. Try using the same colour on walls and woodwork, this creates a strong contemporary clean look, it also makes a room look bigger as there are no contrasts to draw the eye.


For more information or to book a consultation, please contact me on info@hoganinteriors.ie