Facebook name change for the renovations page: Elsje Renovates

Elsje Renovates

I've had a few interested people suggesting I change the name to "Elsje Renovates" on Facebook, to make it easier to find, since the Elsje Designs brand is already established.  So please look out for it.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elsje-Renovates/525443030886944

Boy, I'm having loads of fun.  But it's hard work, lots of decisions and not always easy to make up your mind.  But I've sourced some amazing suppliers, shops, products etc. 


Picking the right paint color is a daunting task. Every house is different. Your decor, furniture, art etc is different than that picture you pinned on Pinterest and your windows face a different way than the room you saw in that magazine.

 

Here are 5 tips for choosing the right paint colour

 #1. Pinterest to the rescue

I find Pinterest to be a really helpful tool when it comes to figuring out your decor colours. I have a Pinterest board for each room (bedroom, bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen) and a board just for paint colors. I pin pictures of rooms that inspire me, as well as rooms with paint colors that I love. When I'm finally ready to decorate a room, I refer back to my boards and see what jumps out at me. More times than not, I'll see that I've pinned a lot of the same kind of color. Once you find a few names of colors you like, you can even search Pinterest for that specific colour and see other rooms it's been used in. Colours never look the exact same in your own room as they did on the Pinterest, but it can still really help you narrow down your search. Plus, when I'm at the paint store, I always have my phone handy to pull up images on Pinterest to refer to. 

#2. Learn to love neutrals.

I know, I know, neutrals aren't for everyone. 

Neutral paint colours are the most versatile, and can be made to work with almost any colour scheme you choose for your furniture and decorations. Ivan suggested Dusted Moss and it's a perfect colour!  White opens a space up, beige makes a space feel warm and cosy, and grey adds a cool vibe to a room.

Neutral paint colours are great because they allow you to keep your room as a sort of blank canvas. You can then change your mind easily, as you add/subtract pops of bold colour through your decor.

If you don't mind taking the risk, then don't be afraid to go bold. In fact, this can be very successful, in Durbanville I painted Louis' office a brick red and it looked rich and masculine with all the dark wood antiques. Just keep in mind that bold colours can often seem overwhelming if used as a dominant paint colour.

#3. Pick similar colours throughout the house.

I chose several similar colours that complement each other and then used them repeatedly throughout the house. It gives the entire house a really cohesive feel and makes everything flow and make sense.

#5. A match made in heaven.

What really works well for me, is to collect an array of possible paint swatches and placing them on the sofa, headboard, pinned against the curtain, and flooring. Then, find one that has similar undertones. Using a colour with similar undertones on the walls helps bring everything together. It makes a space seem open and serene. You can bring in the contrast with your other decor like curtains, bedding, rugs, accent furniture, scatter cushions and accessories. 

#5. Sample the colour.

For me, this has been the most important tip. Normally I never commit without buying a small sample of the paint and painting it on the actual wall.  It saves me tons of money, and really helps narrow down my choices. These little samples only cost about R30 at Spiro's Hardware each and I usually pick a few colours I want to try on my walls. I just paint a large swatch directly on the wall and look at it for a couple days. This is to make sure I can view it in all the different lights throughout the day. Another great tip is if you don't want to paint directly on your wall, you can paint a piece of card board and tape it to the wall.