Choosing Colour

Q: I’m painting my interior with a view to putting my home on the market. Does
everything have to be painted in cream? Colour consultant Niamh Courtney offers
her expert advice.
A: There’s an expectation that you’re meant to take all your personality out of the
home before selling it. I’m not so sure about that. Over the past few years a lot of
people have painted their walls in deep colours, like navy and dark green. Those who
did so often had a flair for interiors. They used those strong colours in a way that
complemented the furniture and the overall style of the home. Painting it all over
with a pale neutral will be expensive – it might need five or six coats of paint – and it
won’t necessarily work so well with the general décor. It will be a lot cheaper to
freshen up the interior in the colour scheme that you already have than to bring it
back to a blank canvas. The people who buy your home will put their own stamp on it
anyway. So, if you’ve taken pride in the interior, I suggest that you let them see it in
all its joy!
If you’re selling a home with an outdated interior, it does make sense to sharpen it up
with paint. It will make a big difference and it doesn’t cost a fortune. The temptation
is to get the painters in to paint everything in white. That’s easy, but it’s not always
the best plan. Brilliant white, or off-white with a grey undertone, is often too stark for
the Irish climate. Instead, go for a warm neutral with undertones of beige. Whatever
paint brand you go for, you can’t go wrong with a historical range because the colours
aren’t too intense. They will work in a modern home as well as in an older building.
Rather than going for the same shade throughout, I’d suggest painting the house in
different shades of the same colour. It’s a little bit more effort but the result will be a
lot better, and the cost is the same. Some of the paint companies make this very easy
for you by grouping their colour charts appropriately. I’m a big fan of the Heritage
range from Dulux and their chart is easy to follow. For example, you might combine a
pale neutral like Green Clay with a mid-neutral like Ancient Sandstone and then
bring in Setting Stone as a darker shade. Don’t be put off by the word “stone” as these
are all beautiful earthy tones – different shades of the same colour – that will work
together to bring warmth and character to most interiors. You can combine them in a
variety of ways. In a dark hallway you might want to embrace the darkness by
painting the walls in Setting Stone with the trim – doors and skirting – in Green
Clay. In a brighter kitchen or living area, consider reversing the colour scheme with
paler walls and darker trim. In a period home, you could add a mid-tone for the
ceiling, bringing it down to the picture rail.
The biggest mistake that people make when painting to sell is to pick a shade that
happens to be trendy but has nothing to do with the house. Grey has been very
popular for modern houses, but really won’t suit an older home with a lot of orange
pine. In that case, you’d be much better with an earthy green, like Stone Green from
the same range, that won’t fight with the colour of the wood.
Niamh Courtney is available for colour consultations. See choosingcolour.ie.