'White' - one of the most neutral colours available! But, as you will see in any colour range, there is a vast array of 'white' shades to choose from and it can be really tough to decide which is best for your home, especially if you are planning to use this colour as the main base colour to run through large spaces of your home. Getting the shade wrong can make for a very expensive mistake! Light, neutral colours / 'whites' are versatile and a very popular choice, brightening dark spaces, giving the illusion of more space and offering a blank canvas for your accent colours to contrast against - be it wall art, furnishings, furniture, or an eye catching patterned wall paper, or bold, accent wall. But choosing the right shade 'white' can be a minefield! There are so many available! Each with varying tints of every colour imaginable! Even 'Brilliant White' paint can vary in shade, depending on the manufacturer - some having a slight cold bluey tint, some soft and creamy in appearance and some having a slightly earthy grey or green tone to them.
The first rule is to ALWAYS take some sample cards home with you to offer up against each other. in the place they are destined. You will be shocked at how different the shades will look at home than in the shop with the false lighting you will have viewed them in initially.
Just take a look at the small selection of whites pictured below, the differences in shade and how they look in one light to another, against different backgrounds...
Offer the colours and patterns which will be used to furnish the room up to your samples to ensure they work well together.
Each room in your house will be facing a different aspect, Be it North, south, east, or west. This will determine how much sunlight you get in your room each day, and how warm or cold the natural light of that room is. South facing rooms tend to get more direct sunlight, offering warmer natural tones, whereas north facing rooms will generally have darker, colder tones with less natural light reaching the room each day.
You will find that east facing rooms get more light in the morning and west facing in the evening, as the sun sets. This will tend to be a warmer light.
It seems a lot to consider, but the science makes sense, so taking the time to understand the light behaviours of your room and obtaining samples first is paramount to getting it right first time!
I would generally work to counteract and balance the colour to create the warmth, or coolness the room naturally lacks. For example, if the room is north facing, choose a hue with a slightly warmer tint base, such as yellow or red, whereas if the room is south facing and full of natural light, it is recommended you choose a cooler shade so that the room isn't overwhelmed with warmth.
Brilliant white can be a great choice for use in small space as the light is reflected and bounced around the room, making the space feel bigger and brighter. My advice, however it to avoid blue/grey based whites for north facing rooms as this can result in the blue / grey tones being reflected and it feeling darker and a little gloomy.
Likewise, a brilliant white in a south facing room which gets all the sunlight can reflect too much light, making you feel the need to reach for your sunglasses whilst inside, so it is best to opt for a softer, cooler shade with a tint of grey, blue, green or violet.
Warmer undertones of yellow or red used in a north facing room will add a sense of warmth and comfort.
Once you have narrowed down your choices with the sample cards, purchase the sample colours as either a stick on swatch (as some manufacturers, suck as 'Lick' now provide), or paint a patch of your sample on the wall and watch how it reacts to the changing light of the room through the day and into the evening. Another aspect to consider is how the colour reacts to the artificial light of the room and the atmosphere you wish to create, eg warm and cosy vs focused and fresh. The effect can be altered through light position, bulb strength and colour and choice of shade. If you are going for a completely white room, be careful not to take away the depth of its natural features, making it look flat and one tonal. Why not go for different shades of white to highlight features, such as woodwork and doors? A cooler shade of white will give the illusion that the wall is further back, whereas a warmer shade will bring it forward and give a cosier feel. A brighter shade of white will give the illusion of a higher ceiling. If you are bold with your choice of furnishings and choose strong contrasting colours, a colder tone of white works really well as a background to make colour pop and prevent the clash of warmer colours.
Finally, the finish of your paint makes a big difference too! Matt being softer and more absorbent in appearance and satin smoother and more reflective. There are many choices of textured paints on the market today to add further depth and interest - from velvet to chalk and sand finishes.
And probably most importantly of all! If you have children or pets - consider if 'white' is a practical choice? Could it be an option to use a darker tone on the lower half of the walls? Either way, choose a quality paint that is wipeable! I hope this article helps in your quest for the 'right white' or 'whites' for your scheme! Until next time! Nicola x
Comentários