Colour Confidence

When choosing colour, consider the feel of the room. Different colour schemes can make a room seem cozy or elegant, soothing or stimulating, and can even appear to alter the room’s proportion. Before you start decorating, think about how each room works and what you want it to say - from the floor up.

• Small spaces: Wall-to-wall carpet tends to expand the space of a room. An unbroken sweep of colour, especially a light colour with a smooth texture, fools the eye into seeing more space than really exists. In very small rooms, you may want to paint the walls the same light colour as the carpet.
  
  
• Large spaces: On the other hand, large rooms can seem more intimate with a rich, deep-colour carpet in a sculptured texture. Choose a shade from a favourite piece of upholstered furniture or from window coverings that already exist in the room.
  
  
• The colour story: Consider how one colour affects the colour next to it. Think about the colours you’d like to use for walls, ceiling and floor to express your ideas and personality. Variations of yellows and reds will create warmth in a room – shades of blues and greens, the cool colours, can make a room seem more serene.
  
  
• Lifestyle: Some floors support active lifestyles in households with kids, toys, pets and non-stop action. Others are the foundation for a more subdued atmosphere, where furnishings are elegant and the feel is luxurious. Consider how and when you are going to use a room, then choose a colour that best suits the mood you want to create. A dining room used only for formal evening dining could have a dark, rich and elegant colour theme.