About Colour

Colour has the potential to become one of the most fundamental elements in your home. You can use colour to brighten up your mood, make your space look larger or smaller, or reflect more light. It can easily identify personal space for you and your family at home. For the interior, you could utilise colours already existing within your furnishings and accessories. This can make a great starting point for transforming your home.

Inspiration

Inspiration is found in many ways. Try taking a walk around your neighbourhood to see how colour schemes work on the exterior. If you're painting a room or all of your interior, you can review Dulux colour cards, house and garden magazines and books. The Dulux website and colour wall will also inspire colour schemes and ideas. Have a look in your own home, where you can draw on colours from your favourite cushions, lamp or sofa.

Use our Colour Inspiration Gallery to help you in your colour selection process.

Style

What sort of style are you looking for in your home? Contemporary, traditional or modern? This also helps you to define the colour palettes you should begin with. Not only do you have choices in colour, you now also have options with textured or metallic products. So you see, the sky is the limit.

Lighting and Colour

The amount of natural light a room receives will dramatically affect the density of a colour. Rooms facing south or rooms that receive little light will appear lighter with lighter shades of colour (e.g. whites or neutrals). Rooms facing north that receive a great amount of light (and may feel very warm) will suit the cooler palette of colours.

How could colour make you feel?

Yellows

Yellows can create a happy, sunny feel and will make the room appear brighter. Yellow radiates warmth and is a reflective colour.

Blues

Blues can give a tranquil, serene feeling and sense of spaciousness. Blues are calming and help us think of our environment.

Reds

Reds can create a wonderfully warm, passionate feeling with a hint of excitement, and are renowned as a colour of strength and power. Red works wonders as a dramatic entrance colour or in a formal or contemporary dining or living area.

Neutrals

Whites and neutrals are ideal for creating a clean, classical backdrop and will allow you to add a splash of your favourite colour to any space. You have options of cooler or warmer whites and neutrals, such as greys, beiges, tans, creams and coffees.

Greens

Relaxing and restful to the eye, greens create a cool, fresh and calm atmosphere. Greens come in many shades and can be lime, mint, citrus, or teal.

Purples

Decorating with purple can create an illusion of grandeur. Lavender is lovely in a baby's nursery and you could easily try a rich eggplant for a feature wall in your living area.