By Anna Hill, Fenwick & Tilbrook
Moving house and choosing how you want your home to be decorated can be quite stressful, so we asked Norfolk’s luxury paint manufacturer Fenwick & Tilbrook for some colour advice.
Here are some questions to ask yourself before choosing paint colours:
What is the room used for?
It’s important to consider how you want to feel in your newly decorated room. Is it a formal room, a fun room or a space to feel calm and relaxed? Asking yourself this question will help narrow down your quest for the perfect scheme.
In terms of colour psychology:
- Blue is a serene and tranquil colour, a popular choice for bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Green is a back to nature colour, great for calm, restful spaces.
- Yellow is a happy colour, better for energetic spaces or places where you need to stimulate mental activity (such as a home office)
- Oranges & reds are good for entertaining spaces, especially dining rooms.
- Pink (especially pale pinks) can feel soothing, a good choice for bedrooms
When will I most use the room?
This is important because some rooms are used more in the day and others more at night. As the light in a room changes throughout the day, if you only use the room in the morning your colour choice could be different from the choice you might make if you only used your room in the evening, or at night when you had curtains drawn and the light on.
Understanding the impact of external light on colour:
Light from the North, South, East, and West is different and can make a real difference to the appearance of colour on your wall. Whilst we do not think there should be set rules to conform to, it’s important to understand the facts:
- North-facing rooms have a cooler, starker light. Using cold colours will appear colder. What are the best colours for north facing rooms? The best pale colours to go for would be those with a red or yellow undertone. Our most popular warm neutral is Oyster.
- South-facing rooms receive a warm light, meaning that the light shouldn’t restrict your colour choice, just be aware that the colour will look warmer e.g. yellow undertones will look warmer and therefore appear more yellow once on the walls. It is the perfect environment in which to use those cold colours that won’t look as good in other lights.
- East-facing rooms have warm light in the morning but cooler light in the afternoon. A paint colour with green undertones would work all day long. Our favourites are Oceans and Lamb’s Ear.
- West-facing rooms have cooler light in the morning and receive warm afternoon light, so if you want to make the most of the afternoon light, why not embrace it with warm pinky tones that will warm up the morning sun light and glow in the strong light of the afternoon. Vintage Peony, a plaster pink shade would be a stunning choice.
Can I make my room look bigger?
In some ways, yes! Pale, cool colours appear further away. This is just our perception as in the environment the further away something is, the paler it becomes. Therefore, a small dark room will appear less so with very pale, neutral walls. If it is the north-facing light making the room appear dark, use yellow or pink based colours, as explained above.
If you want a small room to look brighter – keep all walls the same, light colour.
But remember – it all comes down to personal choice…There is nothing wrong with celebrating a small, dark room by using dark colours to make it feel snug and cosy.
Paint Selection
Once you have a clear idea of the feeling you want to create in your room, it’s time to start sampling…we recommend ordering our real paint chip colour card or inspiration box to view the full 150 colours in the main range.
If you have already whittled down your favourites online, then painted sheets or sample pots are your best bet! That way, you can view the colours in situ; making sure you view at different times of the day (with both natural and artificial light), checking you still love your favourite once the light has altered your perception of the colour.
Fenwick & Tilbrook paint is freshly made to order in Norfolk and delivered to your home the next working day.