For most people, choosing colours for a room feels like guesswork. You stand in the paint aisle holding a handful of swatches that look perfect under fluorescent light, and then utterly wrong at home. It’s not your fault. Creating a colour palette isn’t instinct alone. It’s part art and part science.
When done right, a palette gives a room coherence and mood. It helps every object in the room work in harmony with the others. When done wrong, it leaves even expensive pieces looking disjointed. Here’s how to begin, what to avoid, and how to design with calm and confidence.
Mistake No. 1: Falling for a Bold Colour Without Context
A deep green or rich plum can look beautiful on a swatch but overwhelming once it covers an entire wall. Paint reflects light, and light changes everything.
Try this instead:
Always test large paint samples in situ. Paint at least a two-foot square on each wall and observe it morning, afternoon, and evening. A hue that feels warm in daylight can turn cold under artificial light.
If you’re uncertain, use a visualisation app such as Benjamin Moore Color Portfolio or Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap Visualizer. They allow you to photograph your room and preview colours digitally. It’s not foolproof, but it helps you avoid expensive surprises.
Mistake No. 2: Ignoring the Fixed Elements
A room already has a colour story before you touch a paintbrush. The floors, cabinetry, countertops, even window frames all possess undertones—some warm, some cool. These influence every other colour in the space.
Ask yourself:
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Are my floors warm (oak, terracotta, honey tones) or cool (grey, black, bleached)?
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Do my metals lean gold (warm) or silver (cool)?
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Is my natural light soft and golden, or crisp and white?
A cool-toned wall colour against warm oak floors often creates dissonance. To maintain harmony, let your permanent finishes dictate the direction of your palette.
Step One: Choose a Starting Point
Begin with something you love that’s staying in the room—a rug, a piece of artwork, a marble surface, or even a favourite linen. This becomes your anchor.
From that anchor, extract three to five related tones: one dominant, two supporting, one accent, and one neutral.
Example:
A Persian rug might give you:
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Dominant: soft crimson
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Supporting: muted navy, aged gold
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Accent: ivory trim
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Neutral: warm taupe for walls
Starting from an existing element ensures your palette feels intentional rather than invented.
Step Two: Understand Undertone and Temperature
Colours have undertones, which are a whisper of another colour beneath the surface. White can lean pink, yellow, grey, or green. Blue might contain red (warm) or green (cool).
A harmonious palette keeps undertones consistent: warm with warm, cool with cool. Mixing undertones can make a room feel subtly “off,” even if the colours themselves are beautiful.
Pro tip: Hold your paint swatch against a pure white sheet of paper; the undertone reveals itself immediately.
Step Three: Apply the 60-30-10 Rule (Gently)
This classic design formula still works:
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60 % of the space is your dominant colour (often the walls)
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30 % a secondary tone (furniture, drapery, cabinetry)
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10 % an accent (art, accessories, smaller details)
You don’t have to follow it rigidly, but it’s an excellent guide for balance. Too many “statement” colours and nothing feels calm.
Step Four: Think Beyond Paint
A palette extends to every finish and texture. Wood, stone, textiles, and metals are all part of the colour story.
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Wood tones: choose complementary wall colours. Warm oak sings against cream or clay; cool ash looks best with greige or soft blue-grey.
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Stone: match undertones. Carrara marble with its blue-grey veining wants cooler companions; travertine prefers warmth.
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Textiles: use them to layer depth—linen, wool, and velvet catch light differently, adding subtle variation within the same hue.
Step Five: Test, Wait, Observe
Once you’ve narrowed your choices, live with them. Tape large swatches to your wall for several days. Notice how the colours change as the sun moves. Light is fluid; your paint should be too.
A colour that feels just right at 8 a.m. might feel oppressive at 8 p.m., and that’s valuable information to have when choosing a colour for your space.
The best palettes are the quiet ones: layered neutrals, muted earths, soft blues and greens. They allow a room to age gracefully and your belongings to shine. Trend colours come and go; proportion, tone, and balance never do.
Good luck, and let us know if we can help with choosing your next colour palette!
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