Choosing Colours & Finishes
The most paralysing part of decorating isn't the painting — it's choosing the colour. This module cuts through the overwhelm: understand undertones, test properly, and pick finishes that work for each surface.
Buy sample pots and paint A2-sized test patches ON THE ACTUAL WALL. Colours look completely different on a small card vs a real wall, and they change dramatically between daylight and artificial light.
North-facing rooms need warm tones (yellows, warm greys, off-whites) to counteract the cool light. South-facing rooms can handle cooler colours.
Farrow & Ball and Little Greene are beautiful but expensive. Dulux Heritage and Valspar offer very similar tones at a fraction of the price. Nobody can tell once it's on the wall.
Matt for walls and ceilings (hides imperfections). Eggshell or satinwood for woodwork (wipeable, durable). Never use matt on woodwork — it marks instantly.
Consider the room's light: north-facing = warm tones, south-facing = cool tones work
Look at what's staying in the room (sofa, floor, curtains) — your paint must work WITH these
Pick 3-4 sample pots in the same colour family. Paint large test patches on the wall
Live with the test patches for 2-3 days. Check them in daylight AND artificial light AND evening
Once decided: MATT emulsion for walls and ceilings
EGGSHELL or SATINWOOD for woodwork (skirting, door frames, doors)
Consider an accent/feature wall in a deeper or contrasting colour
White ceilings make rooms feel taller. Painting the ceiling the same colour as the walls makes rooms feel cosier
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