Adding colour to a home can be fun and exciting. There are so many shades available that it can sometimes seem that the choices are endless and decisions can be overwhelming.

A simple tool that can help when colour coordinating your home is The Colour Wheel. Designers, artists and even hairdressers use the colour wheel to find the perfect combination of colours. Use this as a starting tool when choosing colours for your room scheme. Perhaps you have your sofa already picked out or in place? Then find that shade on the colour wheel to see which colours sit alongside or immediately opposite.

Our top tip is to use your own eye, your intuition and style as a guide to colour choice. So often people are searching for the colour of the moment, the colour their neighbour has or what’s in vogue, we say, be unique, go with what you are attracted to, trust our instinct. Do however try to take into account the natural and artificial lighting and the time of day you use the room most. Do you want to create energy or create a space to relax? What’s already in the room that’s staying and look to bring your flooring into the thought process. Wooden flooring, in particular, is full of ‘colour’. Wall and wood colour should blend seamlessly with your wooden finishes. Remember also to think about the trim colours for skirting boards, doors and architraves as well the ceiling, also known as The Fifth Wall. These two elements can add a huge amount of character to a room. Think about painting the ceiling a bold colour, and pairing it with coordinating neutrals. Painting woodwork a bright colour or can add a modern take to a classic design. Check out some inspiration pictured below by Little Greene. They have used a striking yellow as an accent colour as it related back to the wallpaper.

If you are choosing a more monochromatic look, so three shades from one base color. Then its time to consider the 60:30:10 rule. The main colour should take up 60% of the design, then 30% for the other shade and 10% for the final shade. This creates a subtle and harmonious colour combination. This works beautifully for neutral colours with undertones of browns, greys, creams or whites.

One final bit of advice we can offer is to not over complicate your design. Keeping it simple will help keep your design classic and timeless. Adding pops of colour can absolutely add colour and life to a room, but overdoing colour and patterns can make it confusing to the eye. However, decorating is all about creating a home that you love and a golden rule to live by is “Live With What You Love”.

We adore everything to do with colour at Templeogue Décor – The Colour Hub. If you are looking for any colour advice we are here to help. You can book in with one of our Colour Consultants to help you choose your perfect home design, style and colour to suit you and your room. We offer in-home colour consultations, in-store colour consultations and online colour consultations. If you’d like to book an appointment just give a call on (01) 490 9831 or book here….

Clockwise from Top: Combination of Brave Ground & Trust Colours from Dulux, Ceviche(230), Grey Moss (234), Serpentine (233), Brooke House – Cinder from Little Greene and Cool Arbour (232), Trumpet (196), Loriini – Dorian from Little Greene. All available online at www.thecolourhub.ie.