Pick colours that suit how you want each room to feel, then build a palette with complementary, warm, cool or monochromatic shades.
The simplest way to change how a room looks and feels is colour. And we don't just mean paint: textiles, art, decor and upholstery all help you build and hold a colour palette in a room.
Colour is one of the foundations of interior design. It sets the tone of a space and decides its style, whether you want a bold room or a calm neutral one, something subtle or something vibrant. So how do you choose a palette, and how do you know which colours work together?
How to choose colours
Colours affect how we feel, and the right colours in the right rooms make a real difference. In a home office you might pick colours that help you focus. In a bedroom you want calm. In the rooms where you spend the most time, choose colours that make you happy.
Start with what each room needs from you, and let that guide the colour. Everyone responds to colour differently: red doesn't make everyone restless and blue doesn't relax everyone. Your reaction is personal, so trust it.
Colour intensity
Think about how intense a colour is, not just which colour it is. Changing the intensity changes how a space feels. Pastels are soft and gentle. Saturated jewel tones are bold and dramatic, and make more of a statement.
Creating a colour palette
Once you know the mood you want, build an overall palette for the room. There are three common approaches.
Complementary colours
Complementary colours sit opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as blue and orange. Together they create strong contrast. Using lighter and darker shades of each lets you add contrast without the room feeling loud.
Warm or cool tones
Warm colours are red, orange and yellow. Cool colours are blue, green and purple. A warm or cool palette uses colours that sit next to each other on the wheel, which feels more harmonious than a complementary scheme.
Monochromatic
A monochromatic palette uses different shades of one colour, like a paint strip running from dark to light. There's only one dominant colour, but the range of shades gives the room depth.
Three ways to use colour in a room
Pops of colour
If you like colour but don't want to go all out, add it in small, easy-to-change pieces against a neutral base: art, rugs, cushions and pillow covers. Swap them with the seasons and the whole room feels new.
Bold colour
For the boldest look, mix several bright shades. Even a bold room can be turned up or down: keep a neutral sofa and bring the colour in through walls, rugs, pillows, artwork and decor.
Neutrals
Neutral rooms built on whites, beiges, greys and soft browns feel calm and timeless, and they're the easiest base to work with. The trick is texture: layer different fabrics and finishes so the room doesn't feel flat. A satin bedsheet in cream, beige or light grey adds a soft sheen that lifts a neutral bedroom without adding colour.
Start with the bedroom
The bedroom is the easiest place to try a new palette, because bedding changes the whole room in minutes. Pick a bedsheet in your base colour, then add contrast with pillow covers in an accent shade.