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Colour on walls has a quiet yet powerful voice - it is able to guide our gaze, shape room dimensions and influence our perception: a retreat that calls for peace and quiet or a loft that creates a sense of cosiness even though it is huge? It's all a question of the choice of color for the walls.

In this article, we explore the latest colour trends in wall design. In addition, we have 5 useful tips on how to use colors in order to achieve the desired effects.

Airy and ample

Creating a sense of space

Light colours reflect light and make rooms appear larger — that's not a secret. However, the key lies in finding the right shade:

  • Cool pastel shades such as a misty blue, a sage green or a soft greige open up the room without looking sterile.
  • Delicate rosé and apricot tones add a touch of warmth and make small rooms more welcoming.
  • Two-tone concepts: Painting two walls in white and two in a light shade of colour creates a subtle visual extension — the room appears lighter and larger.
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Small, but with character

Colours embracing rooms

Not every room is supposed to look big — sometimes it's all about a feeling of comfort. Deep, rich colours create just that:

  • Dark petrol, warm rust red or a deep pine green tone will pull the walls closer, creating atmosphere, especially in large or otherwise impersonal rooms.
  • A dark ceiling combined with a light wall colour makes high rooms appear cosier.
  • Soft powdery tones with dark accents such as mauve with a deep brown or a sandy beige with a dark blue add elegance and depth.
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Changing proportions

Colours as visual architecture

Sometimes rooms are too long, too narrow or too high. Color can help to improve the perception of the room:

  • Narrow rooms appear wider if the front walls are painted in a darker shade than the long walls.
  • Long rooms appear more compact if the shorter side walls are painted in a darker shade.
  • A dark ceiling and a coloured wall opposite the door extend the room, which is a good idea for low rooms.
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More than a splash of colour

Creating zones, setting accents

Colour can provide structure in open-plan living spaces:

  • A dark, earthy shade behind the sofa turns the living area into a cosy island.
  • A soft dove blue or sage for the workspace will help you concentrate.
  • A warm sandy beige as the primary colour for the entire room, combined with a dark brown tone as an accent, creates calm and coherence.
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Lighting & finishing effects

The subtle nuances of colour

  • Matt or silky gloss?
    Matt colours absorb light and look elegant, silky surfaces reflect it and make the room appear more lively.
  • Daylight or artificial light?
    Cool colours appear clear and fresh in the north, while they appear softer in the south.
  • Textured walls?
    Slightly textured or mottled effects make the room appear more vibrant than a smooth, homogeneous surface.
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5 EXPERT TIPS

for decorating with colours

#01: If you want to visually balance a particularly high room, you can paint the ceiling in a soft tone such as powder beige or light grey - this takes away the“ infinity” at the top and creates a feeling of harmony.

#02: If you use dark colours, you can create contrasts by using accents in brass, cream or wood tones to give the room depth.

#03: If you want to visually stretch a room, you can use vertical colour grading on a wall — for example, a colour gradient from dark blue at the bottom to a cool greige at the top.

#04: Accent walls should be chosen with care — a single striking wall can define a room, whereas too many colours can create confusion.

#05: Always test a colour sample in daylight and in artificial light — colours change depending on the lighting situation!

Conclusion

Wall colour is more than just a backdrop
- it shapes, controls and determines the atmosphere of a room.

If you understand its effect, you can deliberately change the visual impression of rooms to make them appear larger, cosier or more balanced.

Finding the perfect shade, the right finish and a colour concept that incorporates space and light is crucial.

Fancy a change?
 We can help you find the perfect shade for your home.

 
Images: Adobe Stock, home INTERIOR

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