Hello & welcome to my newsletter!

I’m so thrilled to be bringing you monthly Interior Design content.

I’m forever being asked all sorts of home related questions whether that be on my socials or just from friends and family, so this is my attempt to collate those questions and answer them in a longer form.

This is very new territory for me but it feels exciting to be able to share what I’ve learnt over the last few years and will hopefully prove to be an informative and entertaining resource for anyone renovating, doing a spot of DIY, designing a new house or simply someone who’s interested in interior design.

This month I want to delve into one question that comes up more than any other… How do I choose a paint colour?

I’ve touched on this briefly on TikTok but I’ve put together a short guide below to help you.

I’ve also highlighted a house tour on YouTube that I found so inspiring, for any Modern Family fans you’ll no doubt be intrigued to see inside Sofia Vergara’s incredible home. I’ve also selected some of my favourite high street homewares for Spring/Summer.

So let’s get into it…

How to Choose a Paint Colour?

I’ve been getting this question by the bucketload online and in person from friends/family so here is my guide. A short summary can be found in one of my recent TikTok videos but here is the long form version.

1. Get to know the light in your space. The orientation of the room will be a big factor here but also consider times of use, any trees/buildings blocking the light. Knowing the kind of light you have will help you with direction.

   Then consider the undertones you need to avoid or seek out. So if you’re dealing with a light starved north facing hallway, avoid the grey/blue undertones in cooler paint colours as this will only give it a colder effect. The same applies in reverse, if you have a sun drenched room you can afford to include cooler tones without them feeling cold and warmer tones will be amped up further.

2. Understand what your tastes and style preferences are as some colours lend themselves better to more traditional or more contemporary interiors. My tip here is to use Pinterest to create a moodboard for each space and get a feel for your preferences. More often than not, very contemporary interiors have little to no colour beyond a range of neutrals. (if that’s your thing you’re probably in the wrong place with this newsletter)!

   Once you have your style nailed down, you can start unpicking the designs and what the colour schemes are that you’re drawn to. Is it the muddier, dusty tones of say Sulking Room Pink or are your drawn to punchier tones such as Arsenic ? Neither option is right or wrong but you will feel more of an affinity to one.

3. Build the scheme first without the paint and then find a complementary paint colour. not the other way round. Quite often I’m asked ‘I’ve chosen this paint, what goes with it’. No. There are thousands of paints in every shade under the sun, find the furniture/wallpaper/artwork etc first and then add the paint to go with it.

4. Use paint charts and complimentary colour suggestions to your advantage. Most paint suppliers will order their colour charts specifically. For more info on this see my TikTok video which shows you how to do this. you can also use the suggestions on paint websites to give you accompanying colours for a paint you’ve selected.

5. Once you’ve selected your scheme, always, always sample in real life!

6. Think beyond just having white/pale accents for woodwork, ceilings etc- there are so many alternatives whether that be painting the ceiling in with the walls or having a darker contrasting colour on the skirting boards and doorframes for example. It’s worth the experiment for a more layered and interesting design.

@oliviacaplandesign

How to choose a paint colour! One of the questions I’m asked most of all, and really it depends on your space. But hopefully in this vi... See more

I really hope that helps to narrow down your options- happy paint hunting!

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Olivia’s Highlights for May

Thanks so much for reading, see you in June.

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