Colours For Living Spaces.

Learn how to choose suitable colours for every living space in your home. 

Bedrooms:

 Best colours: A bedroom is a place where we go to relax and unwind so you would want this environment to possess some certain kind of characteristics that would help you achieve that. If you go through previous post, you would see how much colours can affect the mood of any place. So when choosing bedroom colours, you would want to go with earth tones, this is a colour scheme that draws from a colour palette of browns, tans, warm greys, and greens. examples of earth tones are yellow ochre, raw umber, burnt siena, burnt umber, caput mortuum, green earth, just to mention a few. Also , you can use flesh tones pastels including light sages and colours that are more muted.



Don’t recommend: Bright colours, fiery colours such as bright reds, purples, pinks or oranges are not bedroom colours because they tend to raise energy level of a room and heighten our senses which makes it a good choice when you're trying to stir up excitement and bring attention but not when you are trying to be in a calm, serene mood. Using dark shades of colours is also not recommended, stick to what's, light, bright and calm.


Why? Bedrooms should be calm spaces to promote rest and rejuvenation. The earth element is best in bedrooms to support being grounded. Too bright colours are too active for bedrooms and too dark colours are too depressing. We want the right amount of restfulness but not to the point that it is depressing. For children’s bedrooms, make sure to NOT paint them purple or pink. Use a more restful sage green and accessorize with the purples and pinks only. These are far too fiery for bedroom wall colours and most likely you will find you child will love the room during the day but won’t want to sleep there at night.

Living Rooms:

Living room colors are often best selected by taking the overall size and lighting of the room into consideration. The mood you are trying to achieve is also important. Light colors will make the room seem larger, but using dark colors is also sometimes desirable, because they can add a cozy look to a room. Extremely intense colors are generally not good choices for a living room, as they are too stimulating, but shades of burgundy and maroon can be used effectively.

Best colours: Neutral colours are the perfect background for a living room,whether they are light colors like beige, cream or shades of yellow, they can add a warm and inviting look, while cooler colors such as gray can add a more formal appearance. Add accessories in muted shades or bright hues to achieve different looks. Use big hits of colour in a living room's palette to create a bright, airy and happy space that integrates both feminine and masculine details.In a room with bold blocks of colour on the walls or built-ins, look at bringing in calming tones through furnishings

Don't recommend: I won't recommend too dark colours for the walls sometimes they give off a depressing vibe but if used correctly can create a warm, cozy feeling.

Why : A living room is the one place in your home most people get to see first so it is essential to make sure you're leaving a lasting impression. Bright, calm colours like blue, gree, purple, gray, white and so on are great choices and you can also pair them up with dark accents and dark furnishings.

Bathrooms:

Best colours:Light colors and natural shades such as light blue, seafoam green and light earthy shades have always been popular for bathrooms, because they can create a relaxing spa feeling. Pair white fixtures with colours that make them look fresh. White sinks, tubs and toilets are classic bathroom fixtures so while choosing a bathroom colour, its up to you to consider what kind of atmosphere you want to create. Earth tones and neutrals colours is one way to go. You can also go with dark colours if that's what you're into, choosing a darker paint colour gives you an artistic backdrop against which you can install colourful hooks or hang vibrant towels. You can go with the classic black and white bathroom. For the ladies, since you would be doing a lot of make-up activities in your bathroom, it's advisable to choose a tone that is flattering to your skin tone.

Don’t recommend: The bathroom is on living space in the house where you can be liberal with colours but try not to go overboard with choosing too many colours,try to avoid extremely dark colors if the bathroom is small, because these colors will just make the room seem smaller

Kitchens:

Best Colours:  When it comes to kitchens, white, gray, blue, red, yellow, and green really shine. Warmer colours such as red are believed to stimulate the appetite and are an excellent option for kitchens. White can really energize a room. These colours all come in different shades to choose from but it is important to stick to these colours in light shades. You can also have more fun with your counter tops and back-splash and choose darker colours or designs for those. popular colors to use in the kitchen include earthy tones such as brown, peach and yellow. Strong colors such as brick red can also look nice in the kitchen, especially used as an accent color along with more neutral shades

Don’t recommend: Colours that come in very dark shades are not advisable in the kitchen. Greens and blues are not generally thought to be the best choice for kitchen, especially in the lighter shades. However, accents of dark hunter green or blue can sometimes be used effectively

Why? : Kitchens should be happy active spaces but they also already have a lot of fire and water. The best element to balance both is the earth element represented by earth tones and terra-cottas. These can be bright yellow, golds, rich terra-cotta or any other brighter colour. The earth element supports being grounded. In kitchens we are working with fire and knives, which are unsafe. Using colors from the water element such as black, grey, dark blues, greens and browns promote a feeling of un-groundedness, and they can also be too depressing for what should be a more active and happy space.

Dining Rooms:

Best colours: When choosing dining room colors earth tones, sage greens are for a calm chill environment, red on the other hand, for intimacy and also because its a colour that propels you to eat so maybe just a hint of it here and there. Eclectic pastels which consist of colours like, peach, lavender, light blue and so on would be a good fit for a dining room. You can also pair lights colours with dark accent or vice versa like blues with red/ purple/ green accents. If you plan on having a lot of candle-lit dinners, yellow, preferably mustard because they go so well with candle light,

Don’t recommend: Blue tends to suppress the appetite, and as such, it is often thought to be a poor colour choice for a dining room. But if you're a lover of blue, all hope is not lost, try going for a lighter blue or you can incorporate reds and oranges in the furniture and accents.

Why? Dining rooms should be calm, peaceful spaces. Earth tones promote groundedness, which is what we need for good digestion. earthy tones tend to be the most popular choice. Not only do these colors convey a feeling of warmth, but they are also very versatile. Use any color that is more muted that you love, but make sure it is not a color from the water element such as black, grey, navy blue, dark green or dark brown.The same principles apply here as in bedrooms.

Extra Tips: 

Best rule of thumb for colour is to tone it down two notches. The colour you choose on the swatch will not be what shows up on your walls. If you choose one or two colours lighter than that one, this will be closer to the actual colour you want. Be careful with red. The colour red comes from the fire element which is meant to stimulate and get things moving. Use it sparingly in the rooms that should be more calming spaces such as bedrooms, dining rooms and living rooms.

It is best to use reds for accessories, but not as wall colour. If you are passionate about having a red wall, choose a more muted red such as a burgundy or a plum purple. Painting is a commitment of time as well as finance. Don’t be in a hurry and choose the wrong colour. Also remember if it seems too bright for the more active rooms, once you get the furniture in and art up, it will look very different and may work out fine.