Choosing a color
for our living room or bedroom can plunge us into an abyss of perplexity.
This is why white has long been popular with consumers, because it is not a big risk and goes well with each other.
But he has the fault of flattening everything and lacks personality.
"Today, customers want to go for color, they want an interior that looks like no other, it's a very strong trend
," notes Vincent Vallée, color expert at the manufacturer Little Greene.
Color chart, sample: what tools to choose your color?
Before you get started, get some
samples
to put on your walls to visualize the colors at different times of the day.
The luminosity makes the perception vary.
The colors must be chosen in daylight, because it cannot change, unlike poor quality lighting.
The more pigments a paint has, the greater the depth of hue and the more it varies according to the different lights of the day.
The specialists then say that she is “alive”.
Chromatic circle.
LPVP
The paints sold in the professional circuit are white and the colors are obtained with a tinting machine, choosing from the manufacturer
's reference color chart
(1170 in that of Chromatic, 1236 in that of Cromology).
With these devices, it is possible to obtain any shade from a sample (but not from a photo), which can be useful for renovation work on a heritage property.
Read alsoWhich paints to choose to repaint your interior?
How to choose the right paint color?
On the other hand, copying the color of a brand to reproduce it with the paint of a cheaper manufacturer often gives a disappointing result.
The composition of the paints is different from one manufacturer to another, the rendering will not be identical.
For brands, this practice even resembles counterfeiting.
This is why some register the name of their shades.
The top-of-the-range Resource label gives its customers a
certificate of authenticity
to guarantee the quality of its products.
Consumer paint manufacturers develop short color charts inspired by current
trends
.
They also offer associations to guide you and avoid mistakes in taste.
Fifteen years ago, the color charts used in northern countries, which contained a lot of cold tones, were very different from those in southern countries, richer in shades of yellow.
But today, the offer is very wide and it is possible to skilfully combine the colors of various color charts, provided you are sharp in decoration.
Read alsoOrganic paint: how to choose it?
The color of the year
In 2023, the trend is Viva Magenta 18-1750, according to Pantone codification.
This company provides color standards for the whole world.
This tint from nature (cochineal red) is determined by societal and economic developments.
It translates intense emotions, characteristic of today's world.
Make a color simulation online
If you are unsure of yourself, follow the recommendations of the brand or ask for advice.
The manufacturer Dulux Valentine offers, for example, a
virtual
home staging
service on its site.
After sending a photo of your interior, you receive a project drawn up by a decorator (for 39€ for an atmosphere or 49€ for both).
Some brands come to advise you at home (€180 per hour at Ressource, €250 for two hours with three tester pots offered by the Parisian showroom of Little Greene).
These appointments are an opportunity to take stock of your lifestyle and the activities carried out in the room to be repainted.
Do you need calm and concentration in this place or, on the contrary, to be stimulated?
The coloristic responses will be adapted accordingly.
To imagine the rendering, you can also use
online color simulators
, such as that of Tollens or the Dulux Valentine Visualizer application.
For its part, the Valspar brand gives the right to error with its “color satisfaction guarantee”.
If you are not happy with the result, it will reimburse you the price of a new shade, up to a limit of €100.
You must send your proof of purchase and a photo of your wall with both colors.
Read alsoHow to paint metal effectively?
Which color for which orientation of the room?
Your choice must also take into account the orientation of the pieces, which varies the sensations generated by the colors.
A gorgeous blue will always be cooler in a
north
-facing room that never gets direct sunlight.
To bring a bright side, favor shades containing a hint of yellow.
To the
east
, the light is constant and soft, all the colors are valued.
To the
west
, evening clarity enhances warm hues while cold ones appear gray.
In the
south
, where the brightness is maximum, the light tones can seem bland and the white risks dazzling.
Painting: should colors be combined?
Associating several colors
in a room makes it possible to modify the sensations.
The eye uses breakpoints to gauge the space, the most frequent being the white rectangle of the ceiling.
“Painting the ceiling the same color as the walls erases the boundary between them and creates a much cozier ensemble
,” explains Odile Botti, spokesperson for Emery & Cie paints.
But that doesn't always work.
If the room is really small, choose a dark shade instead for a protective cocoon effect.
A dark color will also lower a cathedral ceiling.
Read alsoMatching the colors: five missteps to avoid
Choose contrasting colors
Painting
the woodwork, baseboards and cornices in contrast emphasizes the structure of the room but is only of interest if these elements have a particular aesthetic.
A shade lighter than that of the walls will give a very classic look to the place, while a darker shade will create a more modern, contemporary, and almost graphic atmosphere.
Conversely,
painting everything the same color
reduces the effect of the structure: you can thus make a flat door or a column disappear.
How to choose a color for a room?
Vincent Vallée replies:
“Rule no. 1 is that you like the color.
You have to adore it more than anything, because there will always be someone to criticize your choice.
Do not think too much, do not intellectualize.
If you like
fuchsia
, go for it.
Start by putting color in passage rooms, such as the entrance, the
hallway
, the
toilets
or the
dressing room
.
Is it a good idea to paint a single wall in color to visually change a room?
“It's a widespread idea
, answers Vincent Vallée.
A bare volume is modeled at convenience, but experience tells me that the desired effect is much less obvious in a furnished room.
The choice to put a wall in color must be justified by the elements placed in front of it, such as a very nice row of
low
furniture , a sofa, a
mirror
... This wall will attract the eye, it must highlight beautiful objects.
How to combine several colors in a room?
“In different ways: you can achieve gradations starting from the
floor
, darker, with very strong skirting boards, a picture rail (moulding, editor’s note) in your medium, a lighter wall and a very light ceiling.
Draw from the color charts of the brands.
The monochrome is more complicated to handle in decoration, because the colors are very subtle.
If you are not sure of yourself, opt for a maximum of two shades in a room, hence the interest of painting the ceiling the same color as one of the walls to be able to take another.
Use the complementary color more in the furniture.”
