What to consider when choosing a colour for a room

When selecting the best colour for each room in your home, who better to give advice than the professionals over at Lick! In fact, we had so many questions to ask Lick's Head Colour Specialist, Tash Bradley,  that we sent our Head of Design, Lucy Henderson to Tash's  studio apartment to document all her fantastic top tips in our latest instalment of our #MeetTheExpert video series. Make sure you check out our incredible series and take a look below to see more top tips from Lick.

At Lick, we’re passionate about colour. We want you to get your paint choices correct the first time around. So, before you whip out the paintbrushes, when it comes to choosing a colour for a room, there are several things to consider.

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Consider the direction your room is facing

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

Be it north, south, east or west, which paint colour is best for your room will depend largely on its orientation. If a room gets a lot of sun in the morning, it’s east-facing. Lots of golden afternoon light? It’s south-facing. In fact, how to tell the orientation of your room is pretty intuitive, but if you’re unsure, you can use a compass.

The best paint colours for a north-facing room

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

As they get the least amount of natural light, when it comes to choosing paint colours for a north-facing room, look for hues with a yellow or red undertone, like Green 01 or Pink 02, to combat the cool light. For the best neutral paint colours for a dark, north-facing room, White 05 and Beige 01 do an excellent job of both brightening and warming the space.

The best paint colours for a south-facing room

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

South-facing rooms are blessed with almost all-day sunlight. So when it comes to choosing paint colours for south-facing rooms, you’ve got the pick of the bunch. If you want to balance those warm sunny tones, Blue 04 and Green 02 are two Lick favourites, whilst Beige 04 and Greige 01 are great neutral options.

If you want to use your painting skills to create a three-quarter painted wall, then you should take a look at Tash's top tips on how to do this flawlessley in our latest installment of the #MeetThe experts video series!

The best paint colours for an east-facing room

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

As they get the least amount of natural light, when it comes to choosing paint colours for a north-facing room, look for hues with a yellow or red undertone, like Green 01 or Pink 02, to combat the cool light. For the best neutral paint colours for a dark, north-facing room, White 05 and Beige 01 do an excellent job of both brightening and warming the space.
Early birds will love an east-facing room, which gets lots of natural light streaming in from the moment the sun rises—something to think about in a bedroom—but little in the evenings. The key to choosing your paint colour for an east-facing room is to think about what time of day you'll use it.

The best paint colours for a west-facing room

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room and Da Silva Designs

You'll never miss a sunset in a west-facing room, they're bathed in golden light in the afternoons. As with east-facing, when it comes to choosing the best paint colour for a west-facing room, you're going to think about what time of day you'll be in it most.

Do you want to see more top tips for selecting the perfect paint for your home? Make sure you check out the latest #MeetThExperts instalment, staring our Head of Design Lucy Henderson and Lick's Head Colour Specialist, Tash Bradley! 

Consider the mood you want to create in your room

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

Once you've settled on whether you're going for cooling or warming undertones, think about the mood you're trying to create. We all have subjective responses to colour, but this is where colour psychology affects our emotions and can play an important role. Pink paints and green paints have a soothing, nurturing feel, great in a bedroom, whilst blue paints and grey paints can be very stimulating—ideal in an office or hallway. Alternatively, if you want to bring an air of calm to every corner of your home, neutrals are the way to do it whilst also creating a cohesive colour scheme.

Consider the interior style of your room

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

From more-is-more maximalist decor to paired-back Japandi-style, when it comes to creating a colour scheme, you've got to consider your interior style. Start by making a mood board. According to Tash, our Lead Colour Specialist, our sample boxes create "a source of palette inspiration for colours throughout the room and the house, as a way to create a lovely flow". They're basically a ready-made mood board. So, whether you go for industrial-chic Scandi interior style or the perennially popular boho home decor style before you choose your room colour, choose your interior style.

Are you curious to know how Lick's Head Colour Specialist's studio apartment is decorated? What paint she has used as well as how she has ingeniously used her space? Then take a look at Tash Bradleys House Tour!

Consider the wood tones of furniture in your room

Image Credit: My Bespoke Room

One aspect of interior design that is often overlooked is choosing a paint colour that compliments your wood tones—or wood tones that compliment your room colour. It's simpler than it sounds. The general rule is that lighter woods go with lighter paint colours, whilst warm woods work well with mid-tone colours like Red 03 and Green 05.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s decorate.

Would you like some help selecting the perfect paint for your home? Maybe you could even do with a hand designing your room to the vision you have in mind? Our professional designers will help you invest in your home transformation and can help you make the most of every nook and cranny! 

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