How to Choose the Perfect Accent Colour for a Cohesive Colour Scheme
Let's talk about making your space look awesome with an accent colour! When you're jazzing up your place, picking the right colour is key. Most people start with their favourite colour and search around that tone for shades and tones. Think about your accent wall—whether you've already picked a standout colour or you're still figuring out the perfect base, it's all about choosing other colours that just click with your main pick. No need for fancy terminology here; K.I.S.S comes to mind that means "keep it simple silly" keeping the secrets of mixing colours super simple. I'll share some tips on how to make your feature wall and the whole colour palette vibe together. From the main act to the supporting roles, let's make your living space feel cosy, stylish, and a reflection, totally of you!
Tip #1 - WALLPAPER
When it comes to choosing colours, wallpaper can be a fantastic way to tie a room's colour scheme together. Sometimes, we're captivated by a stunning wallpaper but end up confining it to a feature wall, neglecting the potential impact on the entire space and losing a cohesive and balanced ambiance.
But with todays technology, we can take an sample of wall paper to the mixing stations, and have a certain colour pulled out and mixed. So matching the paint to the paper, and then painting the remaining walls. Break it up and half panel the lower wall, paper above and the matched colour on the panelling below.
This smart colour strategy isn't exclusive to wallpapers though; it can be extended to any pattern in your room. What's' on the curtains, scatter cushions or rugs? all potential sources of inspiration. It really is nothing new, just go with your gut and forget what others think, your living in it!
“No pattern should be without some sort of meaning.”
– William Morris
Tip #2 - ACCENT WALLS
In a lounge, for example, the sofa is often the largest piece of furniture, making it a key element in your colour palette. Chances are, you picked your sofa not only for its style but also for its colour. It just makes sense to let that choice set the tone and define your entire colour scheme. After all, your space should reflect not only your style but also the things you already enjoy and appreciate. Some will choose a piece of art, some will choose an object from travels and some even just take inspiration from everyday life, one of my past clients wanted the colour of the Biscoff biscuits.
If your new home already has a feature wall colour, or your on a tight budget then why not work with it? Utilize it to guide a tonal colour palette for the other walls and details. Consider extending the cohesion by painting a picture frame, woodwork and skirtings, doorframes and windows or an item of furniture, in the same or tonal colour to bring everything together seamlessly.
Tip #3 - What Inspired Me...
A simple, effective and cost saving approach is to take inspiration from what's already around you and what you already love. Look at the items you have and cherish, and let them guide your colour choices. I have an old arm chair that was my Nana's, I got it sent to me when my parents were clearing out their home. I dyed it a teal, sprayed the legs brass, and used it many many mornings for a coffee.
I just can't let it go, I don't have many memories of my Nana but I get a deep sense we would have had a giggle, and its that feeling that makes me keep the chair. So with the sentiment of the chair, and its new colour, that set the colour palette for the rest of the room. I pulled out rich tones towards then green end of teal and blocking it against lighter blues and whites for a crisp modern vibe.
Now, Pull Your Finger Out, and Get Some Samples...
Yes you need to go to the paint store, your going want to try out a few colours in your own space. Well you might not want to, but you should. Every home has different lighting, from natural light to accent light to area lights, and usually a combination of the three. To make it even more fun, all these lights are changing on an hourly basis, at different times of the day.
I would select the main paint colour I was drawn to, then go a few tones lighter and a few tones darker, so you end up with three tones of the similar colour.
Paint each colour onto 4, a4 pages, (one for each wall) so you then end up with 12 sheets of the three colours. Line all three next to each other and try them at different levels on each wall, start at eye level, then maybe top left corner, the shade will make it look different. Leave the squares up for a few days and forget about them, then see which one draws your eye each time you enter the room. See how they work in the evening or the times your using the space most and whittle them down until you have found the right match that feels right for you.
Alright, let's wrap this chat about sprucing up your space up! These are just a handful of ideas, and here's the truth – there really is no rulebook. It's all about letting your creativity flow, embracing ideas, and trusting your gut feelings more than overthinking it. Your thoughts can guide your feelings, so keep an eye out for that gut feeling – it's usually onto something good, in my experience. Some designers have their go-to style, and yeah, sticking to it can be a safe bet. But, here's the cool part: there are designers out there who want to draw inspiration from you – your lifestyle, your tastes, and your favourite colours. That means creating a space that's all about you! That's my vibe – people inspire me. If you're not feeling up to tackling this solo, shoot me a message. We can spend a day, and working together we'll pull together a colour scheme that feels just right for you. Let's make your space uniquely yours.