What colours go with green?
Green pairs naturally with the colours found next to it outdoors: warm whites, sand, terracotta, wood tones and soft pinks. Sage and olive greens suit cream, ochre and brass; deep greens suit navy, burgundy and gold. Keep one green dominant and repeat it, rather than mixing many.
What colours go with brown?
Brown works with creams and warm whites for a calm room, with blues (from sky to navy) for contrast, and with green, rust and mustard for warmth. Treat brown as a neutral: let wood and leather carry it, and add one stronger colour as an accent.
What colours go with grey?
First read its undertone. Warm greys suit cream, blush, ochre and wood; cool greys suit white, navy, black and blue-green. Grey also takes strong accents well, such as mustard, emerald or deep red, used in small amounts.
What colours go with navy blue?
Navy acts like a softer black. Pair it with warm white and natural wood for calm, with brass and camel for warmth, or with coral, rust or mustard for contrast. In small rooms, use it on one wall or on the joinery rather than everywhere.
What colours go with beige?
Beige suits other warm neutrals (cream, taupe, stone) layered in different textures, plus wood and black for definition. For colour, add sage, terracotta, dusty blue or olive. Avoid pairing it with cool, bright whites, which make it look dull.
How do I choose a paint colour?
Start from what stays in the room, such as the floor, the sofa or a rug, and choose a colour that works with it. Paint large samples, at least A3, on two walls and look at them in the morning, at noon and under lamps at night. Light changes colour more than anything else, so the same paint can look very different in a north-facing and a south-facing room.
What is a colour scheme?
A colour scheme is the planned set of colours a room uses and how much of each it shows. Common schemes are monochromatic (one hue in several values), analogous (neighbours on the colour wheel) and complementary (opposites). The 60-30-10 rule, about 60 percent dominant, 30 percent secondary and 10 percent accent, keeps any scheme balanced.
What is an undertone in paint?
An undertone is the subtle colour beneath a paint's main colour: a white may lean yellow, pink, blue or green. It shows most when you place samples side by side or against pure white paper. Matching undertones between walls, floor and furniture is what makes colours feel related.
How do I find my colour palette for a home?
Collect images of rooms you like and note which colours appear again and again, then check the colours you already own in clothes, art and objects. Build a palette of one dominant neutral, one or two secondary colours and one accent, and test them together on large samples in the actual room.
What colours go with purple?
Pale purples such as lilac suit soft greys, creams and sage green. Deep purples such as aubergine suit gold, mustard, olive and warm wood. Because purple is strong, use it in fabrics, art or one painted surface, and balance it with plenty of neutral.
