How to choose the best colour for your interior
You should know the type of colours that come in the same shade so that you get a variety to choose from. Photo by Rachel Mabala
Patience Asiimwe says she never knew what paint to use for the different rooms in her house until her friend, an interior designer, visited and criticised her choice of colours which she called boring and odd for the living room.
“I personally love pink. So, I painted most of the rooms in my house hot pink and matched most of the items such as chairs and cushions as well,” says Asiimwe.
Her friend advised her to go for a toned down version of pink especially in the living room. “ She helped me pick out the paint colour and to redesign my whole sitting room. the finished product was so good that I realised what she meant when she called my choice of colour boring,” Asiimwe says.
Jacklyn Biira, an interior designer, says much as colour is entirely an individual’s choice, you also need to know the types of colours that come in the same shade so that you can have a variety of choices to make from the same colour.
She says for those who need some glamour added into their room, you can always hype it up by using two types of the same colour or you can colour blend. In this case, one of them has to be either light or dark depending on the room.
The bedroom
Bashir Masembe, an interior designer at Namaro wallpapers and interiors, says bedroom colours have to be darker than that of the living room because it gives the room a cozy, romantic atmosphere.
“For fear of spending more money on paint, most people choose one colour of paint for the whole house. But the bedroom should have darker shaded of paint because they create an atmosphere of a place meant for rest and sleep,” says Masembe.
He advises people to add some portraits, wall paintings or even rags but these should be simple and not exaggerated. When you have these in your room, they add warmth and creativity.
The corridors
Masembe says a corridor is a passage that most people in the house use so using dull coloured paint there may make it dark and dull which is not advisable because a passage has to feel safe for those using it.
Biira says the corridors should not have bright colours because it is used by many people who may keep touching the walls and leaving marks on them.
“But sometimes it depends on the age group in the household. If the house is occupied only by adults, then you can use bright colours but if you have children and do not want to use dull colours, then be ready to always have the corridor wall either re-painted or washed depending on the quality of paint used,” Biira says.
Kitchen
Biira says the kitchen does not really have a specific colour so you can choose to use any but there are places to be careful with while working.
She advises that the area behind the sink should preferably have tiles instead of paint since a lot of water splashes while washing dishes and other utensils. However, if you would rather have the walls painted, Biira suggests dark colours such as maroon that can be easily cleaned.
House accessories
Bashir Masembe, an interior designer, says when choosing paint, bear in mind that the accessories such as curtains, vases, rags, wall hangings and frames should blend in with the paint.
“Accessories are the main reason many people rarely change the colour of paint in their houses because sometimes it means buying new ones,” says Masembe.
Jacklyn Biira, an interior designer, advises those who plan to use different colours not to be bothered by the walls being covered with paint but know which colours blend. “But if you are not in position to do that, then you can use one colour in different shades or ask for an expert’s help,” says Biira.
