Picking your living room colour is not an easy task. It involves commitment… and agreement if you’re not the only one making the decision. Your paint selection should reflect the atmosphere you want for the space based on how you utilise it and the style of your furniture – modern, vintage, minimalist, warm, funky… Check out our colour suggestions and 6 must-read tips on how to choose the best paint colours for your living room.
Picking living room colours: Our 6 tips
Think about the use of your living room
First and foremost, think about what the living room represents for you. Is it a calm and serene room where you do your crossword puzzles? Is it a kids’ playroom (whether you agree on that or not), or is it a reception room where you organise regular dinners with friends and family? Answering this question can already eliminate some colour options. You might not want a bright chirpy yellow if your living room is where you relax in the evening, and elegant charcoal wouldn’t work either for a living room often taken over by Barbies and Paw Patrol toys.
Think about your furniture
You don’t need to match the colour of your furniture with the one of your walls, but you should take it into consideration. Matching your living room colour with the ones of your curtains or rugs can be a nice way to bring your room together. Neutral colours will always work regardless of your furniture, but if you want a real change in your living room, think about contrasting colours by looking at opposites in the colour wheel. Have a red couch? Why not try green hues?
Visualise it with a rendition tool
It’s never easy to picture what paint colour would actually go well with your living room. The closest way to find out without actually having to paint is by using Dulux’s paint colour visualiser. Just upload a photo of your living room, pick the colour of your choice through hundreds of shades and apply it to your own living room. To avoid any surprises, upload a photo of your living room in daylight and at night.
Get a sample of your paint colours
Sure, you could trust one of the many quizzes that promise to find the right colour palette based on your personality. But you could also just get a sample of your favourite shades at your local store or any department store (sometimes for free) and try it out on your walls, behind a piece of furniture for example so it’s not visible until you actually start painting your living room.
Get inspired
Whatever colour you choose, chances are someone has chosen the same one before…and posted it on social media. So have a look on Pinterest to get ideas or just for confirmation that your paint selection is the right one.
For a pristine result, get someone to paint for you
Sure, everyone can paint. This doesn’t mean everyone should. For such an important job, get a local painter to work on your living room that will do the job efficiently, including painting all your doors, skirting boards, and window frames, while keeping all your furniture and floors clear of paint drops. Get an experienced Tasker to paint your living room.
What colour to paint my living room?
Teal – A discreet yet original colour for your living room and one that would go particularly well if you own a lot of plants, and contrasting red armchairs or couch.
Dark blue – Great if you want to give a seaside feel to your living room. Where ocean blue should really be for coastal houses with a matching decor, a darker shade of blue will feel more neutral while still bringing light and cosiness.
Charcoal – This might seem like a surprising choice but a light black, like charcoal, will give any living room a bit more personality than a very neutral beige, and will draw more attention to any architectural elements, like mouldings, a fireplace, or exposed beams.
Peach – A bright, kid-friendly colour, yet not too flashy, perfect to accentuate the ‘living’ part of the living room, if you see it as a place of fun more than a haven of calm.
Eggshell – The perfect colour if you don’t want white, but still want something that remains neutral. Great if you own bright coloured furniture or rugs, the soft colour won’t compete.
