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Colour is kind of tough, if we're being honest. Or more accurately, a lot can go wrong when attempting to use colour in your home, even with the best of intentions. Here are ten of the most common colour mistakes at home — and how you can fix them.  Our Patala Mandala under natural light.  The same Patala mandala under warm light. 1. Not considering light Without light, colour wouldn't be much to look at. And as much as the right light can make a colour sing...it can also make a grey go lavender or a white look dingy. *Tip: Before painting a wall, use a sample painted or taped up to view your potential new colour in all light of the day — as well as artificial light. If a colour you thought would work doesn't, take it back to the paint store and explain to someone working there which type of light made the colour go wrong — someone with the right experience should be able to point you in the right direction.  2. Mixing too many colors at once in the wrong balances There's no official limit of how many colours are allowed in one room. But the saying "the more the merrier" doesn't always apply when it comes to colour. Want to know whether or not you have too much colour mixing in one room? The room will feel the opposite of peaceful — sometimes it even feels like it's closing in. You can eliminate colours until you start feeling balance. Or you can pay attention to the amount of each colour you use (aim for one or two primary colours and a handful of secondary, accent colours), as well as where the colors are located (spread around evenly to carry your eye through a room). *Tip: Try contrasting colours. If you don't know how, just refer to a colour wheel, anything which is directly opposite each other are contrasting colours! :)  Avoid matching everything at home with the same colour. It looks really boring and soul-less! 3. Being too matchy-matchy with your colour palette Opposite of the problem above is not having enough of a variety. The point of having a colour palette is of course to create a visual story — to present a style in an understandable array of hues. But only stick to two or three colours in a room (or the whole home) and it could start feeling repetitive, predictable and without any real soul. *Tip: Add in a handful of elements spread around the home that have nothing to do with your colour palette at all. They'll infuse the space with more life and interest!  4. Not creating a cohesive home And this is the opposite of having too matchy-matchy of a colour palette! Every room of your home can be done in a different style and colour palette if you want to. But if you're feeling like your home is a mess or too hectic or you just want to make more peace, you might consider creating more cohesion with each room. Not necessarily using the exact colour palette in every room (because then you'd be too matchy-matchy). *Tip: Have colours that you can view from another room that complements each other. Adding in an accessory in a primary colour from another room. Create tie-ins so that your home feels like a total package, and not just a few disconnected parts.  5. Not giving the eye places to rest As much as we love wall-to-wall boldness, even the most colourful spaces need spots for the eye to rest. *Tip: Incorporate empty space in rooms, or include large elements in neutral colours that balance with all that colour.  6. Playing it too safe You didn't paint the walls the colour you really wanted to because you thought it would be too wild. You've always dreamed of a bright blue couch, but went with a neutral one because it's more practical. Red kitchen cabinets? You fantasize about it, but would never dare. You'll avoid making huge colour mistakes if you always play it safe, but sometimes letting your home be more boring than it has to be is one of the biggest mistakes of all!  By: Ready2Paint Blog 7. Using the wrong finish/sheen This has a surprisingly huge effect on the success of colours you choose to paint in your home. Have you ever put the right colour on the wall or a furniture piece, but something still felt off? You may have had the wrong finish. Something with a bit of sheen could have been better if you went full glossy. Or something too shiny really could have been softened with a nice matte finish. The remedy is the same with trying to get the right colour — pin up or paint up a sample of different finishes when picking out colour to see it in the space and in the light. 8. Not applying it properly The great thing about using barely-there, light neutral colours on your wall is that the borders and edges are nearly invisible — you can mess up without much worry of it being very obvious. But mess up the edge where a bold accent wall meets the ceiling? That sort of thing can be seen from space. *Tip: When applying intense colours, spend extra time on the prep work of taping off, and splurge on tried and true tools to get the job done correctly. 9. Going too bright/harsh There's a phenomenon that people who paint bold colours on walls come across often. And that's choosing the perfect paint colour sample, putting it up on the wall, and it being WAY too bright. Much harsher than you would have imagined. If you try out a sample and the same thing happens, don't give up on the colour, just get it lightened a few steps to be a little more palatable.  It is all about the balance of colours :) 10. Not considering how you actually want the room to feel
The way a room looks has a lot to do with the way a room feels. And liking a colour doesn't mean you'll like the way you feel when you're surrounded by four (or more) walls of it. I personally love the look of bold reds and other strong colours, but it's not what I want to wake up in (or try to fall asleep to). Magic happens when you combine colours you love the look of with a way of creating a feel in a room that does just what you want it to, whether that's energise you or calm you down. |
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