How to Choose Colours For Painting Gold Coast Homes

When painting Gold Coast houses, the question of how to choose the best colour scheme is one that is frequently referred to the painter and decorator.  A good Gold Coast painter should be able to provide some feedback as to the most popular colour choices on offer, however with some basic interior design knowledge and a little planning you can go a step further and confidently enjoy the satisfaction of creating your own stunning colour scheme.

Taking Advantage of Aspect

One of the first things to consider in painting Gold Coast properties is the amount of natural light the room receives.  The subtropical sun is relatively strong in our part of the country so you should think about the kind of light your room receives at different times of the day. Paint can appear lighter or darker under different light conditions so it is important to check out your preferred colour sample in both the morning and afternoon, and also under incandescent light at night. 

A good tip to remember when painting Gold Coast homes is that rooms on the northern and western sides of the house tend to get the most sun and will usually be warm or hot.  Conversely eastern and southern rooms will generally receive less sun and be a little cooler.  Be aware that, unlike a room which faces due south, a room that faces south-west will receive afternoon sun and can often be very hot at that time of the day.  Choosing a paint colour scheme that works with the aspect of your home will help to create a pleasant environment during daylight hours.

For northern and western rooms cool colours such as blue, green, white, off white, grey, turquoise and aqua will create a fresh and tranquil ambience.  For southern and eastern rooms the warmer tones such as cream, warm off-whites, beige, yellow, pink or lime green would be ideal, and these will help the room to feel cosier. Purple and yellow-green can be used with either warm or cool colour schemes, depending on the accent colours used.

If you don’t know where to start with colour, then a neat little trick for working with aspect is to purchase a colour wheel and draw up a floor plan of your home that is small enough to fit inside the centre circle of the colour wheel. If we were to overlay a compass on the colour wheel, green would be north, south would be red, east would be yellow-orange and west would be blue-purple. If you orient your floor plan on the colour wheel according to its actual aspect (e.g. a north facing home, would be placed with the front of the house facing green) then the colour which is next to the room will suggest a colour family that will work best with the aspect of the room.

Incorporating Your Personality

Of course, personal preference will be one of the largest factors to consider when painting Gold Coast homes.  If your taste in warm and cool colours tends toward a colour set that does not work well with the aspect of your home, then a good solution can be to use a neutral or white paint colour on the large surfaces of the walls and ceiling while incorporating your favourite colours as accents in accessories and soft furnishings.

The Importance of Layout in Painting Gold Coast Properties

When undertaking painting Gold Coast residents also need to think about the architectural layout of their home.  If the room is larger or has a high ceiling, then warm and darker tones can create a more intimate feel.  On the other hand, small rooms can be made to appear larger by using lighter, cooler tones as these are receding colours that will reflect light.

Matching the Mood & Purpose of a Room

How you wish to use the room should also be factored into the colour scheme that you choose, as paint can have a dramatic effect on the mood of a room.  If you want the room to be formal and sophisticated, then the darker hues will be well suited to your purpose.  If you want to create a more informal environment, lighter tones will feel more happy and spacious. Colours can have a positive or negative influence on our emotions so it is important to understand their effects when choosing colours for painting Gold Coast properties.

Co-ordinating Paint and Furnishings

Finally, the colour of existing furnishings and fittings needs to be considered when putting together a colour scheme.  Consider the colour of the curtains, carpet, tiles, benchtop, tiles, cabinets, bath, upholstery and soft furnishings and ensure that whatever colours you choose will coordinate well with the furnishings. If you have a favourite patterned rug or painting in the room that can often be a good place to take your inspiration from.  By picking out the neutral and brightest colour in the rug or painting Gold Coast homeowners can repeat these in their paint work and accessory accents to create a well-coordinated effect. If using wallpaper in an area then it is best to decide on the wallpaper pattern before choosing your paint.

While all of these considerations may seem a little overwhelming, the major paint companies such as Dulux and Taubmans have made paint colour selection much simpler by putting together colour booklets. By using these proven design schemes for assistance when selecting colours for painting Gold Coast homeowners can confidently put the principles we have discussed into practice without having the worry of trying to work out which colours work best together.

In summary when choosing a colour scheme for painting Gold Coast homes, if you keep in mind the purpose of the room, the aspect, the layout, the existing furnishings and your personal preferences you will be able to create a beautiful space that you and your loved ones will appreciate.