Paint and colour selection

Choosing wall colours can be a challenge. A key element of the decor, paint helps create a unique atmosphere and style, which can in turn influence our own mood. Some of the main factors to consider when choosing paint are your personal taste, the room’s size, the lighting, the furnishings and, of course, current trends. With a little creativity and skill, it’s easy to personalize your interior on a small budget.

The following articles contain useful tips and information:
  • Colour trends: the 2010 RONA palette
  • Choose your interior paint to determine the type and finish
  • Painting your interior: how-to and tips to bring your project to life
  • Colour it: experiment and choose colour combinations

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    Factors to consider
    Colourful tips and tricks
    The meaning of colours

    Factors to consider

    Choice of colour is often influenced by decorating trends but remains above all a question of personal taste. Since it is your interior, you want it to reflect your personality and tastes and those of your family. For instance, why not give your kids the opportunity to choose their own room colour? If you don’t agree with their choice, you can always compromise by introducing that colour with bedding or accessories.

    Whether warm or cold, dark or pale, colour has an effect on the perceived size of a room.
      Warm and dark colours:
    • Tend to make a room feel smaller and more intimate.
    • Cover imperfections on walls and trim.
    • Visually reduce the height of a room when used on the ceiling.
      Cool and pale colours:
    • Make a room seem larger and airier.
    • Reflect light, which makes them ideal for hallways, corridors and dark rooms.
    • Make the room look higher when used on the ceiling.
    Lighting can drastically affect colour, which is why the light fixtures should be installed at the very start of any decorating project.
    • Incandescent light creates a warm, faintly yellowish glow and is perfect for the living room since it is not too intense.
    • Fluorescent light is both intense and energy efficient, which makes it ideal for illuminating work areas such as the kitchen counter. It produces a cool, bluish-tinted light.
    • Halogen lamps produce powerful and efficient lighting similar to natural daylight.
    • LED lighting provides normal room lighting or allows you to create specific effects depending on the colour of the bulb.
    • Natural daylight alters colours depending on the season and the time of day. A sunny room will appear clearer and brighter than a shady one.
    Furniture, carpeting and curtains are also important factors to consider when choosing wall colours. The ultimate goal is to create a harmonious look. If your furniture is very colourful, try to soften the effect by using natural, neutral hues such as flax, cotton, sand or wood. Choose armchairs with upholstered backs so that you are free to place them as you like rather than always up against the wall.

    Colourful tips and tricks

  • A room with large windows lends itself better to darker, warmer colours than a small, windowless room. To add warmth to a north-facing room that receives little or no sunlight, decorate with a warm colour like yellow, orange, red or lime green. In south- or west-facing rooms, where sunlight is stronger, you can afford to use cooler colours such as blue, violet or mint green.

  • Test the paint colour in several areas exposed to different lighting and see how the samples look over a whole day and evening.

  • Each paint finish has its own properties. The more matte the finish, the better it will hide imperfections and uneven reflections, but at the same time it is less washable. The glossier the finish, the more washable it is, but it will also mask imperfections less efficiently. Paint finishes come in the following order: gloss, semi-gloss, pearl, eggshell, satin and matte. Semi-gloss is best for hall or corridor walls and for windows and frames; use matte on ceilings and satin and pearl for the rest. Kitchens, bathrooms and basements have their own antifungal paints.
  • Colour zoning allows you to highlight a wall, a picture or an architectural feature like a fireplace. It consists in painting a shape – rectangle or square – directly on a wall with a colour from the same family as the main wall colour or with contrasting colours.

  • To brighten up a wall, paint patterns or stripes, which can be vertical or horizontal. Simply use one base colour and paint stripes in various other shades, either lighter or darker, and of equal or varying widths.
  • Mouldings are designed to be seen: paint them in contrasting colours in a pearl or semi-gloss finish. Use them to create depth and add style to your walls.

    • The meaning of colours

    Warm colours (red, orange, yellow, brown) are stimulating and help create a convivial, sociable atmosphere.

      Red is a warm, dynamic colour that promotes creativity and generates enthusiasm. It symbolizes love and passion and can encourage us to act on impulse. It acts as a general stimulant and provides a sense of heat. Used sparingly, red can be extremely effective.

      Orange is inviting and intimate. This colour often attracts shy or indecisive people. While it may not always be suitable on a wall, it lends itself very well to decorative objects.
      Yellow is a vitalizing and fortifying colour that makes us happy. Bright and seductive, it is favoured by those who like change. Yellow compensates for lack of natural light. Use it on north-facing walls to bring in a little extra sunshine.
    Cool colours (blue, green, lavender, grey) instil a restful and relaxing atmosphere. Use them in small or west-facing rooms so that the reflection of the sunset creates a warm glow.
      Blue is serene colour that calms and soothes. It is the colour of escapism. It promotes concentration, rest and meditation.
      Green represents freshness and hope. It is a healthy, restful colour that helps cure insomnia and fatigue. That is why it is frequently used in hospitals and other healthcare centres. It is said of those who like green that they are honest and true to themselves and that they respect others.

      Violet is the colour of contemplation. It promotes good sleep.
    White symbolizes purity and makes things look lighter. It is the synthesis of all colours and stands for peace. White makes a room seem larger.

    Black is a paradoxical blend of sensuality and austerity. Though it does not reflect light and can sometimes feel oppressive, it is also a symbol of elegance and refinement. Black is an ultra-chic colour which works fabulously as an accent colour for accessories.
    Walls are the backdrop for any interior design. With well-chosen and attractively arranged accessories, a touch of creativity and a little planning, you can totally transform the atmosphere of a room through wall colour. Remember that colour mixing and matching is a personal choice. If you are unsure about the colours to choose, ask a paint expert in store for decorating tips and advice.
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