Whether you’ve just moved into a new home with an existing feature wall and are looking to furnish it, or want to add some spice to your bland white walls but don’t know how to make your paint job work with your distinct red sofa, matching wall paint and furniture can seem like a daunting task. The tendency to overcompensate with the use of a singular color can lead to a room without aesthetic interest, but failing to tie your furniture with your paint can make your interior design seem a little chaotic. Here we’ll show you how to strike a balance between these two extremes, leaving your Woodley Park home’s interior well-rounded and inviting.
Choose an anchor
Possibly the greatest trick of all to creating a balanced room is to choose one color with which to tie the room together, and let the rest vary as your eye desires. If your room consists mostly of large pieces of furniture in solid colors, choose one of these predominant colors to match to. Alternatively, pick one of the colors featured in a strikingly patterned furnishing. This can be especially effective if much of your remaining furniture features a contrasting color, resulting in a brave color scheme that will set your home apart.
Match - but not exactly
One of the biggest misconceptions amongst homeowners, however, is that paint and furniture can only complement each other when featuring exactly the same color. Not only is this unnecessary, but can actually make a room seem dull and monotonous rather than well put together as intended. Instead of having your painting company painstakingly match paint swatches to your favorite set of curtains, choose a color for your walls that hails from the same color family - think on the same paint swatch - but is noticeably different to the color of your furniture. This creates depth and allows you more leeway in your interior decorating.
Embrace patterns
Everyone knows the age-old adage: don’t mix patterns in your interior design. Sticking exclusively to stripes or paisley, however, can make a room come off as boring rather than carefully minimalistic. Instead of limiting your use of patterns, go wild with scatter cushions and even wall art of contrasting patterns, but make sure they’re tied together with your chosen anchor color family. The common thread of color will stop the room from looking cluttered and help in successfully pulling off a bohemian look. Alternatively, if you’re looking to paint to match your many-patterned furniture, your job is made easier when your color choices are narrowed down to those common amongst the different patterns.
Consider the room
Deciding which color to use as the tie-in with your furniture is simplified tenfold when you consider the size - and function - of the room you’re painting. Small rooms are only made to look smaller with darkly colored walls, so opt for a light color featured in your furniture to match your wall paint to. If this isn’t to your taste, however, feel free to choose a darker anchor, but constrain it to a single feature wall or trim, using a lighter variation for the remaining walls. Equally as important, your wall paint should match the function of the room. A bedroom with bright pink accents, for example, would be better off with a light salmon or even dark burgundy for the walls, eliciting a calm, soothing atmosphere rather than one too energetic.