Internal house painting, Sydney
The colour of a room isn’t the only factor that determines how it looks, but is it on of the more permanent ones. Lighting can also have a very strong impact, with changes being as simple as replacing with a different coloured bulb to rewiring the position of the lighting fixtures. Furniture can be added, removed and moved about, all of which has an impact upon the room. But painting the walls still remains a fundamental element of how a room looks.
Things to Consider:
The colour
Some of us can imagine how a colour will look on our walls, but most of us find our imagination is misleading. The colour on the wall looks different to what we imagined. There used to be problems with paint slightly changing colour as it dried, though modern paints are far less prone to this.
Really, colour is a perception thing. When we compare the little coloured boxed on the paint sample swatch we are comparing them to adjacent colour boxes. When we put the colour on the wall the effect is different; on the wall we are comparing it to the décor of the room. We can get a better indication by painting part of the wall with the colour we initially liked, and then trying a shade lighter and a shade darker. This isn’t completely fool-proof, but we can get a very good indication, and often find the lighter or darker shade gives the effect we want.
When putting some actual paint on the colour square on the swatch people often find the paint colour and sample colour are virtually identical. Out mind plays some tricks on us, with a whole wall of colour looking different to a stamp sized square. Knowing the tricks we can usually compensate accordingly.
The paint finish
The paint’s finish is also a factor. A flat chalky finish absorbs light and looks a little lighter than expected when dry. The gloss or semi-gloss tend to reflect light a little more, making the colour look slightly darker. These two choices vary a little with lighting, so may appear different in daylight than under artificial light after dark.
Matte or eggshell finishes are more consistant under different lighting conditions. They also tend to look more like the sample on the swatch. Painting a small section of your wall can provide a fairly good indication of the end result.
The Light Source
Natural light obviously varies with the weather, but installing a skylight or altering window arrangements can dramatically change the effect of a room. If you have a room with a lot of natural light, something popular in environmentally friendly times, the paint should work accordingly. Choosing artificial light that emulates natural lighting can continue this effect at night; else you might prefer something cosier at a later hour. Using a more red/orange light source can give a warm fireside feel to a room. This is both an attractive look at night time and helpful in the hours before sleeping. An orange/red light help the human sleep cycle.
The Durability
This varies between brands, with some being more stain resistant and easier to clean than others, and effectively being more child resistant. Generally more modern paints are better than paints from a generation ago.
Pregnant women can be strongly affected by the chemicals in some forms of paint. Under no circumstance should pregnant women be exposed to paint or recently painted rooms
Many house painting services will advise on the best way to choose a colour you will be happy with. Talk to Tiger Painters, Sydney based specialists in house painting, for any concerns.