Another kick-starter is to use a favourite painting, wallpaper, curtain fabric or a recently purchased cushion as the starting point for a scheme. You can already see that the colours work together so draw them out and use them on the walls and trims. Note the proportions the colours are used in, and mimic that in your colour scheme. An artwork or fabric is usually seen at a distance so rather than get microscopic about the colours within the piece, stand back for an impression of the colour. You might use the style of your home or the setting, whether it’s rural, urban or coastal to influence your decorative choices. Furniture, pictures and ornaments absorb and reflect colour in different ways affecting the final colour you see. It is always best to view colours in a fully furnished room to get a true picture of how the finished scheme will look. If you are forced to develop a colour scheme using an empty room as a base, start by determining how much of the wall surface will be visible after furnishings are added to the room. Top tip: If you love the colours in a fabric or artwork, load a photo of it into the online Resene Colour Palette Generator and it will suggest some Resene colours for you to help get you started. See www.resene.com/ palettegenerator. 3Be room-appropriate When selecting colours consider lighting, what the room is used for, who spends the most time using the room, adjacent room colour schemes, whether you want to change perceptions of the room shape or size, what kind of mood you want to create, and any existing furniture or furnishings that will be part of the finished colour scheme. Use a moodboard to help create a colour scheme. The background is Resene Inside Back, the bowl is Wishlist, the A4 colour swatches are Resene St Kilda and Resene Flintstone, while the board is a paint effect of various colours. 4 |