Choosing a colour palette for every room in the house is an exciting but also somewhat overwhelming process. A person who isn’t a professionally trained interior designer may get confused by the abundance of options.
A professional interior design company in Singapore like Home Guide will think about the function of each room and choose a colour on the basis of this consideration. Thus, the tones that are ideal for the bedroom are not necessarily the best ones for a home office in your Singapore HDB apartment.
If you want to make the renovation the best one, here is how to identify the tones and the colour palettes that will be ideal for every single part of the apartment.
Get Inspiration from the Apartment Itself
When it comes to residential interior design in Singapore, especially HDBs, there are quite a few HDB rules and guidelines that define what can and cannot be done during renovations. Thus, interior designer companies with a lot experience with residential projects usually rely on a simple trick to pick a colour palette that’s balanced and harmonious. They take a look at permanent fixtures and characteristics of the apartment that cannot be changed – their hues could inspire the entire colour palette that will be suitable for the respective living space.
Do you have dark wooden floors or staircases, exposed beams or stone countertops? These are permanent fixtures that cannot or should not be painted over (they actually could but that would be a pity). If you identify the predominant colours in those fixtures, you can opt for a colour scheme that either works well with the main tones or contrasts them.
This approach is a bit more challenging than the first one. If you don’t feel comfortable enough to identify the right tones on your own, check out the article we wrote on the psychology of colour in Interior design for some inspirations or consider hiring interior design professionals who will grasp the concept right from the start and execute in the best possible way.
Colour Selection Starts with the Central Room
The floor plan is important in renovations and it could affect the manner in which colours are chosen. To make things easier, start by picking the tone for the most centrally located room in the apartment.
Usually, this is the living room or the dining room (plus the kitchen). They are the ones that are accessible from other rooms and also the ones where the family will spend the most time. Once you identify the palette that’s right for this central place, you can move on to picking the colours for the other rooms.
If you’re working on the living room, for example, you may want to opt for a peaceful colour like pastel green or blue. It promotes relaxation and can make just about everyone feel comfortable. Yellow is another great choice because it is bright, cheerful and optimistic.
As far as the dining room is concerned, browns, reds and other natural colours will be a great choice. This is particularly true for apartments that have a rustic feel to them.
Starting with the central colour selection is incredibly important for apartments that feature open spaces and rooms that are visible from one another. In such instances, colour coordination will be of paramount importance. The apartment should be viewed as a whole. Rooms are not isolated from each other. Thus, tones that come in sharp contrast could ruin the harmony of the entire residential interior design project.
Colour Selection: Think about the Function of the Room
A much simpler approach you may want to adopt towards colour selection involves considering the function of each room. This function will eliminate certain tones right from the start, making it easier for you to pinpoint the best hues from the remaining ones.
When choosing colours for the kitchen, you may want to opt for tones that will work well with the kitchen cabinets. Neutrals are typically a good choice because they’ll result in clean and functional interior design.
Colours for the bedroom can be a bit more cheerful and warm. Yellows, pale orange and pink will soften the appearance of the room. Don’t choose reds and purples, as well as black because these colours are quite intense and they’re not the best choice for a room that’s predominantly used for quality sleep.
As far as bathrooms are concerned, you have many options to choose among. Light colours create a spa-like space and they could also make a tiny bathroom appear larger. Alternatively, you can opt for something much more dramatic like black, bright orange or red. Since bathrooms typically don’t feature natural light, such tones can produce a truly dramatic effect.
Colour Selection as the Last Step of Planning
Many people will choose the paint colour for each room before moving on to other aspects of interior design. While this approach may work in specific situations, it isn’t always the best one.
Leave the paint selection as the final part of the renovation project planning. Find inspiration from the items that will be in the respective room. A family painting, a beautiful handcrafted rug that you’d like to feature and even the furniture will give you hints about the most appropriate wall colour.
Fabrics, furniture and larger items should be chosen first. These are the ones that need to stand out, the ones that will be providing a pop of colour in the room. The wall colour will need to be a bit more subdued, especially if your taste is eccentric and you have prominent pieces that you want to display proudly.
Alternatively, more neutral and subdued furniture and accessories will call for brighter walls. You can pull out the tones that are available in the smaller details or you can opt for an alternative wall colour that will tie the entire concept together.
Professionals like the Home Guide team can help you choose colours that are functional and that will work well in the living space. They can be bolder than you, picking several tones that work well with each other or that provide contrast. To understand the Home Guide aesthetic, you may want to take a look at the company’s portfolio.
Regardless of the project’s size and the style you’re interested in, contact Home Guide today. We have the knowledge, experience and personalised approach to carry the idea to fruition.
