1. CREATE A MOOD
Creating a mood for your living room has never been so important. Do you want your space to feel relaxed and calm, warm and homely, soft and charming or spacious? Knowing the answers to this question will help inform the colour decisions, as only certain shades will help enhance the living room’s atmosphere you intend to create. Understanding the colours’ connotations is a crucial step to choosing your paint palette.
2. THE LIGHT TEST
When you know the route you want to take your room in, always consider the direction of natural light, the room’s size, and how the contents will affect your desired shade. The easiest way to understand your shade is to take a tester and try it out at different times of the day to see how the results are affected by natural and artificial light.
3. GLOSSY OR MATT?
When it comes to the finish you want to achieve with your paint choice, think about the home’s practicality and longevity. The sumptuous matt finish of Optiva Matt 5 when used for interior wall paint offers a beautiful, smooth finish that is hard-wearing for the home with its high resistance to stains and dirt. For a silk-like quality to your room, look to Optiva Satin Matt 7, while Optiva Semi-Matt 20 will add a slight glistening effect.
4. FINER DETAILS
A style that may work for someone may not necessarily fit for everyone – and that’s ok. When the general design direction begins to come together, take your new skills to the next step by introducing textured elements to your living room, whether through a painted surface or soft-furnishings. If you are after specific paint textures, our Tikkurila painting ideas are here to help. These playful yet sophisticated design details can even make the most subdued colours feel lively.
5. BE BRAVE, BE BOLD
Most importantly, choose a colour that reflects you and your families’ personalities, not for others or because they are on-trend. Be playful with your colour decisions as your home walls don’t have to be the same colour forever. Order as many colour samples as possible and eliminate them by trial and error until you are happy with your final palette. Our style and taste are always evolving, so choose colours that feel personal to you.