Step 1: Always test with patches
Colour chips and phone photos do not accurately represent how a colour will look on your walls. The only reliable way to assess a colour is to paint a test patch directly on the wall — in the room where it will be used, using the actual paint you plan to use.
Paint the patch at least 30 cm × 30 cm, preferably larger. A small patch makes it very hard to assess how the colour will read across a full wall. Let it dry completely — wet paint looks significantly different to dry paint — and assess it across different times of day.
Step 2: Assess in different light
The same colour can look strikingly different at 8am in morning light compared to 6pm in afternoon sun, or under your evening artificial lighting. A colour that looks warm and neutral in daylight may look yellow or green under incandescent light.
Check your test patch in the morning, at midday, in the late afternoon, and at night with your standard lighting turned on. If it reads well in all conditions, it is a good choice for that room.
Step 3: Understand warm vs cool undertones
Every paint colour has an undertone — usually warm (yellow, orange, red) or cool (blue, green, purple). This matters most with neutral colours. A white that appears clean and crisp in the store may look distinctly yellow or pink in your specific room, depending on the light and surrounding surfaces.
Warm tones
Work well in south-facing rooms, rooms with little natural light, and spaces where you want a cosy, welcoming feel. Common in living areas and bedrooms.
Cool tones
Work well in north-facing rooms, bathrooms, home offices, and spaces where you want a calm, restful atmosphere. Can feel stark in low light without warm accessories to balance.
Step 4: Open-plan spaces
In open-plan living areas, using the same colour for walls throughout creates a cohesive, spacious feel. If you want variation, consider keeping the ceiling and trim consistent and changing only the wall colour in defined zones.
Drastic colour changes between connected spaces — particularly where there is no physical break like a door or wall — can make an open-plan home feel disjointed and smaller than it is.
Step 5: Feature walls
A feature wall can add depth and interest to a room when done well. The most common approach is to paint the wall behind the primary focal point — the bed head wall in a bedroom, the fireplace wall in a living room, or the TV wall in a media room.
Avoid feature walls that are adjacent to windows or doors — they draw attention to structural interruptions rather than the wall itself. Choose a colour that is a deeper or more saturated version of the room's main colour, or a complementary tone, rather than something completely unrelated.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Test two to four colours per room. Apply each patch at least 30 cm × 30 cm — small patches are hard to assess accurately. Live with the patches for a few days across different lighting conditions before making a decision.
Not necessarily. Using a consistent main colour throughout a home with accent variation creates a cohesive look that feels calm and connected — particularly useful in open-plan homes. That said, a different colour in a bedroom or a feature wall in a living room can add interest without disrupting the overall flow.
Warm whites and off-whites — those with yellow or beige undertones rather than cool grey undertones — work better in low-light rooms. Avoid cold blues and greys, which can feel stark and flat without natural light to warm them. Consider using a slightly higher sheen level to help reflect the available light.
Yes. Lighter colours make a room feel larger and more open. Darker colours create a sense of intimacy and warmth. Warm tones (yellows, ochres, terracottas) feel cosy. Cool tones (blues, greens, greys) feel calm and restful. These are general rules — test patches in your specific space are the most reliable guide.