Choosing a colour scheme can be the greatest joy or hugest pain point of a renovation. This will depend partly on how creative you are and on your willingness to keep abreast of the latest trends.
There are ways to guarantee the process falls on the fun side and I’m here to help you with five sure fire ways to choosing a colour palette that gives you the look you desire.
Knowing who the ultimate property owner is
Is the house renovation for your own home or are you renovating with a view to sell? This is super important to ask yourself. If the renovation is for your own home, you can be more expressive with colour and choose a palette that appeals to you. If you are renovating to sell, it is safer to stick to neutrals so you don’t alienate potential buyers. When people inspect the house, they will be trying to imagine their own furniture and artwork in the house and need to know it will ‘blend’.
Knowing the difference between hard and soft surfaces
When renovating, another useful distinction to make is between hard and soft surfaces. Hard surfaces are classified as flooring, tiling, kitchen cabinetry and wardrobes. Soft surfaces are the personal touches you add – window finishes, furniture and accessories such as cushions and lamps. If you are unsure if this is your ‘forever’ home, it might be safer to choose neutral colours and natural finishes such as light coloured stones and timbers for hard surfaces and save the ‘colour’ for the furniture and accessories.
Keeping on top of trends
There are plenty of online tools available to help you discover the latest interior trends. Readly is an affordable online magazine subscription that gives you access to hundreds of Australian and international magazines. The home magazines will keep you across the latest colour schemes and finishes to help you decorate like a pro. Sites and apps like Houzz and Pinterest are also a great source of inspiration.
Vision boards
Creating a vision board over a period of time will help you gain insight into the looks you love and want to live with versus a look that catches your eye but isn’t really you. It’s a bit like that cute bathroom with the pink mosaic tiles that has caught your eye? It might look
amazing on the pages of a magazine but if it isn’t turning up as a recurring feature on your vision board, it’s unlikely to work in your home. This will be more important to take on if the renovation you are undertaking is for yourself.
Seek Advice
If in doubt, there are many colour selection services offered by colour specialists and interior designers. I’m always happy to pass on recommendations for people who work in the Paddington, Red Hill, Ashgrove area if that is a service you require.
If you’d like to chat further about anything in this article, you can leave a message for me here or call 0419 799 979
