Unless you work with seasoned painters and decorators, many rules of colours, paints, shades and finishes are learned the hard way, as it is not easy to know what will work in your home.
Whilst it is tempting to follow trends or opt for the first tin of paint you see that grabs your attention, it may not always be the right option for you, and committing to certain colour schemes can lead to results that are less than appealing to the eye.
In the spirit of measuring twice and cutting once, here are some of the most common and most devastating mistakes we have seen when rectifying painting and decorating jobs, and how you can avoid making the same error yourself.
Why Should You Avoid Chasing Trends?
Ultimately, the best interior design schemes come from the heart and come from the colour schemes you love most.
Whilst there are trending shades and colours of the year, you should not feel tied to popular trends if they are not colours you actually want to have in your home.
Do not feel wedded to the colour schemes you feel you should have; instead, choose colours that spark joy and happiness, and fit the colour scheme and mood of the room they are set to be used in.
Ultimately, follow your heart when choosing a paint scheme you intend to live with for years.
Why Do You Need To Think About Existing Room Elements?
Unless you are painting an unfurnished room, you already have fixtures, fittings, furniture and carpets that will remain in the room no matter what colour you paint it.
A big mistake is to choose your colour without checking if it will work with the parts of your room you are unlikely to change anytime soon.
You are unlikely to replace your sofa or bed, so it is important to make sure that your paint scheme works with whatever you already have in place.
Whilst in one sense this can be a little limiting, it also provides some structure and shape to your potential colour scheme, as whatever you choose should be based on maximising the beauty of the room as it already is.
Which Light Conditions Do You Need To Think Of When Redecorating?
Unless you are making a conscious effort to focus on daylighting, it can be easy to miss the importance of testing the colour of a paint under a wide variety of natural and artificial light conditions.
Ideally, you should paint a sample on every wall, and see how it looks not only at night with the curtains closed and the lights on full, but also during various times of the day.
Varying colour temperatures will affect the overall shade of the colour, and only seeing it from one perspective means that it could be the perfect shade at one time of the day and abhorrent at night.
If you are planning a significant redecoration with many colour candidates, it may be worth using stick-on swatches as an alternative to a patchwork quilt of colour.