Top Tip - How to choose interior colors that match your furniture

how to choose

Introduction

One of the major mistakes people make is painting the interior of their homes without considering the colour scheme of their furniture and interior decor. To create a liveable room, one must choose colours that complement the furniture, creating a harmonious blend within the house. Moreover, colours influence the prominence of furniture. Therefore, if you want your room to look well-balanced and beautiful, you need to know how to mix and match wall colours with furniture colours.

The Table of Contents

Introduction

• Use the 60-30-10 colour theory

• Choose the same or similar colour tones

• Select complementary or contrasting colours that work well together

• Choose colours that match the room's style and function

• Use neutral tones as a base

• Consider the room's size and lighting

Re-Cap :

Use the 60-30-10 colour theory 

A cozy living room featuring olive green walls and ceiling, with a contrasting mocha brown sofa, black table, and minimalistic decor.

The 60-30-10 colour theory is a clever decorating trick that helps make your home look well-balanced, beautiful, and organised. Even if you're not a professional designer, you can easily apply this principle. This approach divides the use of colour into three main parts, which helps create balance and interest in your home's interior, resulting in an overall atmosphere that's harmonious and uniquely yours.

Details of the 60-30-10 Colour Theory

• Primary Colour 60%The primary colour covers most of the room's area, typically used on walls, ceilings, and floors. This colour serves as a backdrop for other elements in the room. Therefore, choose a colour that's easy on the eyes and versatile, such as white, cream, light grey, or black. The primary colour helps set the overall mood of the room and can make the space appear larger.

• Secondary Colour 30%The secondary colour is used for large pieces of furniture in the room, like sofas, curtains, or rugs. This colour should be slightly more prominent than the primary colour but not too bold. The secondary colour adds dimension to the room and creates interest. You might choose a colour that complements the primary colour but is slightly darker, or opt for a soft contrasting colour to create distinction.

• Accent Colour 10%The accent colour is used the least but has a significant impact. It's often applied to small decorative items like throw pillows, vases, picture frames, or lamps. This colour helps create focal points and adds vibrancy to the room. You can choose bright colours or those that contrast with the primary and secondary colours to create standout features.

Choose the same or similar colour tones 

A Living room

When we use wall paint and furniture in similar tones, it makes the space look unified and conveys a consistent feeling. For example, choosing cool tones like light blue, beige, light green, or pale yellow helps create a sense of calm, cleanliness, and relaxation, which is suitable for bedrooms or living rooms.

Moreover, using colours in the same tone helps make the space look more spacious and organised, as there's no colour clash to catch the eye. We can add interest by using slightly different shades within the same tone or by incorporating various textures to add dimension to the room. This approach of using similar tones also makes it easier to adjust or add furniture and decorations in the future, as everything will naturally blend together.

Select complementary or contrasting colours that work well together 

A cozy living room features a navy blue sofa with yellow accent pillows, warm wood furniture, and soft natural light streaming through cream curtains.

Selecting complementary or contrasting colours in room decoration is a technique that helps create a striking and lively space. Complementary colours like red and green, or blue and orange, can create interest and attract the eye effectively. However, they should be used in moderation to avoid an overly intense look. One approach is to use one colour as the primary shade and the other for accents or smaller elements. For example, cream-coloured walls contrasting with a dark blue sofa, or a light grey room brightened up with yellow cushions.

Using neutral tones such as beige, cream, brown, white, grey, or black as a base can make a room look soothing and relaxing. This allows for easier addition of colour through furniture or decorative items. Skilfully blending neutral tones with contrasting colours can create a comfortable and unique atmosphere, adding depth and interest to your room.

Choose colours that match the room's style and function 

A bright kitchen with mint green cabinets, wood accents, and a fresh, airy feel.

Selecting colours that suit the style and function of the room is important, as colours can create different atmospheres and feelings. We must primarily consider the intended use of each room. For instance, bedrooms should use colours that promote relaxation, perhaps cool tones like light blue or soft mint green, or warm, gentle shades like cream or beige, which help create a calm atmosphere conducive to rest.

Kitchens should feature colours that look clean, airy, and stimulate appetite, such as white, cream, or light yellow, which help make the space appear larger and brighter. Living rooms can use more vibrant colours to create liveliness, like orange, green, or blue, but should be used in appropriate amounts to avoid being too garish. Home offices should feature colours that enhance focus and creativity, such as light green or blue, which help reduce stress and increase work efficiency.

Use neutral tones as a base

A living room use neutral tones as a base

Choosing neutral colours as a base for home decoration is an approach that helps create flexibility and visual comfort in living spaces. Neutral colours like white, grey, and beige are versatile and can complement various colour schemes, making it easier to select furniture and decorative items. When using these basic colours, you'll have the freedom to change the look of the room as desired, simply by changing the colour of furniture or small decorative pieces such as cushions, curtains, or rugs.

Neutral colours also help create a relaxing and balanced atmosphere, making rooms appear more spacious and brighter. They also provide an excellent background for displaying artwork or colourful decorative items. Using neutral tones helps rooms look cleaner and more organised, making them easier to maintain and clean. In terms of selling or renting out the house in the future, neutral colours are a good choice as they are widely appealing and easily adaptable.

Consider the room's size and lighting 

A cozy minimalist bedroom with warm taupe walls and soft, airy tones. Natural light enhances the calm, inviting feel.

When choosing wall colours, it's important to consider both the size and amount of light in the room to create a pleasant and liveable atmosphere. For small rooms, using light tones or pastel colours can make the space appear larger and more airy, such as cream white, light beige, or pale blue. Conversely, spacious rooms can effectively use darker colours to create warmth and a sense of intimacy, such as deep brown, dark grey, or taupe. 

The amount of light in the room is also a crucial factor. Rooms with little natural light should opt for bright colours or those that reflect light well to increase brightness and make the room appear larger, such as white, pale yellow, or light mint green. Meanwhile, rooms with ample light can use medium or dark colours to create balance.

Re-Cap :

Nowadays, there are many applications that allow you to experiment with different colours on photos of your room before actually painting. This helps you visualise the overall look and make decisions more easily. If you're still unsure, consulting with an interior designer or colour expert may provide you with new ideas and advice suitable for your space. If you want to try new colours but aren't ready to change the entire room, start by painting just one wall or adding colour with small decorative pieces first.