How to Choose the Right Colours for Your Home (Without Regret)

Hi, I’m Eileen, and I help people avoid one of the most common renovation mistakes, choosing the wrong colours.

Colour is such a personal thing, and it plays a huge role in how your home feels. But when you’re faced with hundreds of shades of white, greys with blue or green undertones, or external features that clash, it can quickly become overwhelming.

That’s where I come in.

My Process for Choosing Interior and Exterior Colours That Flow

When I help clients choose their colours, I always start from the outside in. This creates a cohesive flow throughout your home.

For renovations, I look at what’s staying. For example, roof colour, existing windows, or those old yellow-tinged aluminium frames that are everywhere right now.

If you’ve got those and you want a fresh white-and-grey exterior, we’ll need to work around it carefully to avoid a clash.

For new homes, we start with big choices like the roof colour and whether you prefer something with contrast or a more tonal, subtle palette.

If you’re using a feature like natural stone in the kitchen or hybrid flooring throughout, that becomes our anchor. We then build the rest of the scheme around it so everything ties together beautifully.

Why Lighting Changes Everything (And How I Help You See It)

The same colour can look completely different depending on the light source.

Both natural and artificial and even the time of day. What looks soft and warm in morning light might seem cold and stark at night.

To help you see what a colour really looks like, I use larger samples (A5 or bigger), place them on a black card to cancel out existing wall colours and move them around the home.

We’ll hold them vertically too because that’s how you’ll see your wall colour, not laid flat on a table.

My clients are often amazed at how much the colour changes from room to room. It’s one of the biggest reasons people end up disappointed when choosing colour on their own.

How I Help You Make Confident Colour Choices

If you’ve ever felt unsure about colour, you’re not alone. Many people tell me they “don’t know what they want.” But usually, they do. It’s just that they need a little help bringing it all together.

I often create flat lays for clients, where I place all the main materials like floor finishes, tiles, cabinetry, benchtops, and tapware together so we can see how everything interacts.

Then we hold the paint colours up vertically beside the selections to see how they really work.

This is especially important for things like:

• Choosing the right white to complement your materials

• Matching tiles between floors and walls (they can look very different depending on angle and light)

• Making sure bold choices (like feature stones or colours) feel balanced, not overpowering

Common Mistakes People Make When Choosing Colours

Here are a few colour traps I help clients avoid all the time:

• Choosing a paint colour before the materials – Your paint should support the big-ticket items, not the other way around.

• Copying someone else’s colour scheme – What worked for your friend’s house might look completely different in yours.

• Picking colours from Instagram or magazines – They’re filtered, styled, and edited. It’s not real-life lighting.

• Skipping the sample step – Always test colours in large format and check them in different lights before making the final call.

Why Picking the Right White Is Harder Than You Think

People often say to me, “I just want white walls.”

Sounds simple, right? But there are dozens of whites. Some with blue undertones, some with yellow, some that throw pink or green depending on the light.

You can’t always see these undertones unless you’re trained to spot them. I’ve worked with clients who had no idea why certain colours felt “off” until I pointed out the underlying base. Once they saw it, they couldn’t unsee it!

A common request I get is “Lexicon Quarter” because yes, it’s a popular white however it has a cool blue base. In the wrong context, it can make your home feel sterile or impersonal. If you’re going for warmth or a more traditional look, it’s probably not the best fit.

It’s not that any colour is wrong, it’s just about making sure it works with your space, your finishes, and your light.

So, What's My Favourite White? It Depends…

Honestly, it depends on the home, the light, and the finishes. I tend to lean toward warmer whites that don’t feel too yellow, but I don’t have a “default” go-to. 

Every space deserves its own unique solution.

Need Help Choosing Colours That Actually Work?

If you’re building, renovating or just tired of second-guessing your paint samples, I’d love to help.

Contact me today to book a consultation or to chat about your upcoming project or simply click the Book Now button below.

Here's to homes that feel like you 🏡

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