How to Choose Paint Colours for Each Space in Your Home

When deciding a colour for painting the walls, first you should consider your requirements of functionality and aesthetics. Besides, you should also consider the nature of the space and the specific decorations there will be. As a general rule of thumb, the colour of the bedroom and the dining room should be warm and soft. For the living room, choosing vibrant colours can brighten up the space. For the study, elegant and harmonious tones are more conducive to fostering a peaceful environment for concentration. Design: KNQ Associates

Choosing paint colours

According to the shape of the room

Colours can considerably change our perception of the shape of a space. For example, cool tones can make a low ceiling look higher, and visually widen the room. Using a dark colour on the far side of the room creates an illusion that the room is shortened.

Light colours for the top and bottom portions of the room

Dark colours tend to look heavy, while light colours communicate an airy atmosphere. When painting a room, the normal sequence is from top to bottom, from light shades to dark shades. For example, use white and other light shades for the ceiling and walls, and dark colours for shirting boards. This makes the room look sturdy and stable. Avoid using dark colours on the top portion on the room since this might visually shrink the space and create a claustrophobic feeling.

According to the function of the space

The function of the space tends to direct the atmosphere you want to foster in the space. Living rooms which experience a lot of traffic should be bright, comforting, warm and relaxing. Dining rooms can be darker by a fraction to create a romantic atmosphere. In the kitchen, there should be more light shades, while warm tones should be used sparingly. Since corridors and hallways are only passages, you can be more adventurous with the palette. As to bedrooms, designs might vary according to personal taste. Therefore, there are no standard palettes for this space. Design: Three-D Conceptwerke

According to which direction the room is facing

East-facing rooms are the first rooms to receive sun exposure in one day. They are also the first rooms to darken as the sunsets. Therefore, light shade in most cases is the most suitable colour. South-facing rooms receive the longest hours of sunlight; in this scenario, cool tones are more suitable. Westward rooms receive very intense sunlight at dusk. A cool, dark colour can counterbalance the heat of the sunlight. Since north-facing rooms do not receive any direct sunlight, a light, warm colour is the go-to shade. HKDecoman, now going global as Deco-Man, is a Hong Kong-based renovation platform which provides professional consultancy services and pioneers in the development of A.I. homeowner-engineer matching. We aim at educating the public about the art of home renovation and have our eyes on transforming the traditional renovation industry, bringing standardisation, transparency, convenience and automation to the business.