Moving to a new house can be stressful on many levels. In addition to having to get used to a new neighbourhood, city, or even a whole new country, the house itself can feel alien. To make a house feel like a home, it has to look and feel like a part of you. Adding Colour to the walls of your new home is not only a quick and cheap way to make a space more uniquely yours, but if you choose to do it yourself, it is a fabulous way for you to connect to your new home.

So if you have just moved into a new place, or are planning to shift soon, don’t wait till the furniture movers arrive with your stuff. You can give old rooms a breath of fresh air and make your new house feel more like home with the right Paint and colour. Here are a few essential details about paint you might need to know.

What Kind Of Paint Can I Use?

There are many different options available for paint. Paint can be water or oil based, or latex. Latex paint is a preferable choice because of its durability and the fact that it can we cleaned easily. Latex also breathes better and is more fade resistant than oil. Latex paint is recommended for most walls. However, oil based paint is better for use on wood as it works better than latex paint on wood.

What Effect Does Paint Sheen Have On my Choice?

Sheen refers to the amount of glossiness of the paint. Glossier paint is easier to clean up, so it is recommended for high traffic rooms, those that will house younger kids like playrooms, or places where walls are more likely to get dirty like kitchens. High gloss sheen paint jobs allow you to easily wipe clean walls with a wet cloth. However, high gloss sheens makes imperfections more visible and can look unattractive in living rooms. A flat or matte paint works best in such rooms.

What Colours Work Best?

Usually when a house is sold, it is painted white or off-white to look more neutral, brighter and cleaner. To decide on what Colours to change, you should do your research and take advantage of paint brochures at your local paint and samples available at paint stores. The feel and ambiance of any room can be changed with a little planning and the right colour. Painting with cool colours like blues and greens gives a subtle and soothing look while making small rooms appear bigger and more airy. Colours like reds, yellows and oranges are warmer and make a room more vibrant. The warmth can be varied by selecting muted shades of these colours like pink, buttery yellow, or peach.

For a Soothing Effect:

For a subtle and soothing look, you should choose variations of the same cool colour shades or a monochromatic approach. Light colours like blues, pinks, lavenders and soft yellows are good for creating a sense of tranquillity and restfulness in a room. For a calm ambience you should select lighter shades of cool or warm colours.

For and Elegant Effect:

For a classy and elegant look, opt for neutral colours. Neutral colours are not just white or beige. You can select varying shades of neutral colours like biscuit coloured walls with red tones as the trim. Neutral colours also allow for more flexibility as you can change the feel of a room by changing the coloured accents like bedding or cushions. The lighter colour you choose for the walls, the larger your room will appear. You can use earth tones like rust, mahogany or garnet to make a space elegant, earthy, and richness.

For a Vibrant Effect:

For a vibrant look, select bright and vibrant colours and coordinating shades like oranges and gold, reds and purples. You should refer to the colour wheel and use colours that complement each other. A good idea when creating a colour palette is to select two colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel like gold and orange and then select one from the opposite side of the colour wheel like purple. Choosing colours next to each other on the colour wheel create a visual contrast as they appear distinct from each other.