How to find the perfect paint colour for your project

Colours or neutrals? A warm white or a cool white? On-trend shades or classic hues? With so many things to consider, picking a new paint colour can quickly shift from a fun weekend project to a seemingly overwhelming task. But it doesn’t have to be this way! To help you to find the colour of your dreams, we’ve compiled some easy to follow tips and tricks:

1. Do your research

Whether you’re flicking through interior magazines, popping into a furniture store with sample room layouts or visiting a friend’s house, gathering inspiration is an important part of your DIY journey and will help you to work out what you like best. Another great idea is to take inspiration from some of your favourite artworks – art with lots of colour will provide a great starting point!

2. Match with the rest of your home

Consider how a colour will work with the existing elements in your home, like floorings and curtains. Flooring is often an expensive thing to change, whereas paint can be a much simpler and more cost-effective swap, so it’s worthwhile spending the time checking that your new paint colour will match with what’s already in the room.

3. Consider warm vs. cool colours

There’s no right or wrong here - it’s all about personal preference and what you’re wanting to achieve in your space. As a general rule, cool tones like soft greens and blues will give your space an open, relaxed and calm feel, whereas warmer hues including red, yellows and oranges are vibrant and active.

4. Follow your heart

Remember to have fun with colour and enjoy the process of making your house a home. Whether you’re adding a playful pop of colour, a bold new hue, or calming shades, selecting a colour you really love is a simple way to add personality to your home. A great way to start introducing colour is by painting your bedroom in a shade that’s special to you. Bedrooms are also easy to re-paint if your preferences change over time.

5. Try our new Virtual Colour Assistant Tool

Ever wished you could just answer a few, simple questions and someone would tell you exactly which paint colours you might like? Yeah, us too! That’s why we’ve created a new Virtual Colour Assistant who can do just that! All you need to do is respond to a couple of easy questions (like whether you’re looking for a colour, white, grey or neutral paint) and pick a few favourite shades, then we’ll provide you with some colour options for your project. Try it now.

6. Pick up sample pots

Once you’ve selected a few colour options, pick up some sample pots so you can try them out at home. If you see a colour you like on our colour charts, simply click to order a sample. Or, pop in to Bunnings, and get the paint desk to tint a sample pot for you. They’re available in both 250ml and 500ml pots.

7. Test the sample pot on cardboard

We recommend testing the sample pot paint on large cardboard. Paint each piece of cardboard with three coats of your favourite British Paints colour, and allow the paint to dry. When it’s dry, place the cards around your home so you can see the colours in different light at different times of the day.

Need more tips and tricks for interior paint? You’ll find everything you need here.