How to Confidently Choose Colour When You're Not a Colour Person
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Hi, I'm Eileen.
If choosing paint colours makes you want to just leave the walls white, I get it!
Colour is honestly one of the things my clients feel most overwhelmed by. And it makes complete sense.
There are thousands of options, the lighting changes everything, and what looks perfect in the tin can look completely different once it's on your wall.
But here's what I want you to know. Choosing colour confidently isn't about having a natural eye for it. It's about knowing where to start. So let's begin.
Start with what's already in the room
Before you look at a single paint colour, look at your room.
Your flooring, furniture, cabinetry and soft furnishings already have colours and undertones built into them. Your paint colour needs to work with these, not against them.
That alone will narrow the field enormously and takes so much pressure off the decision.
💫 My tip: If you're heading to the paint shop, bring something with you - a fabric sample, a tile, even a photo of your flooring on your phone. It makes the whole conversation so much easier.
Undertones - the thing nobody talks about enough
This is where a lot of people come unstuck, and it's not their fault.
A colour that looks like a beautiful warm white in the store can pull pink, yellow or even green once it's on your walls. That's because every colour has an undertone sitting quietly beneath it and your room's light will bring that undertone out whether you planned for it or not.
Hold paint samples up against something you know is neutral, like a white piece of paper, and you'll start to see the differences.
Warm undertones - think yellow, red, orange. They feel cosy and inviting.
Cool undertones - blue, green, grey. They feel fresh and calm.
Neither is wrong, it just depends on the mood you're after.
💫 My tip: If a colour looked perfect in the store but feels off at home, undertones are almost always the reason.
Please don't skip the samples
Sample everything before you commit!
Paint your samples directly onto the wall and live with them for a few days. Look at them in the morning, in the afternoon and under your evening lights.
You'll be amazed how different the same colour can look throughout the day.
The few dollars you spend on samples is nothing compared to repainting a whole room in a colour that doesn't feel right once you're living in it.
When in doubt, simplify
If you're feeling overwhelmed by options, that's usually a sign to pull back rather than keep looking.
You don't need a complicated palette to create a beautiful space. A single well-chosen colour, used consistently and thoughtfully, can feel far more sophisticated than four colours competing for attention.
Choose one colour you love, make sure it works with what's already in the room, and trust that.
You don't have to figure this out alone
Colour is one of my favourite things to talk about and I genuinely love helping people who feel stuck finally land on something that feels completely right for their home.
If you'd love a fresh colour scheme but don't know where to begin, get in touch and let's have a chat. 🏡