Colour consultation in Melbourne

Why colours are best chosen on site

A colour chip is a few square centimetres under shop lighting. On a wall, the same colour can look lighter, darker, warmer or cooler depending on which way the room faces, the time of day, the floor and furniture, and the colours next to it. A south-facing room in a Melbourne winter can make a warm white look grey, while a north-facing room can wash out a pale colour completely.

That is why we test on your walls, with sample patches you can look at in the morning, at midday and in the evening. Our guide on how to test paint colours explains how to get the most from sample patches.

Interior colour schemes

Inside, we look at how the rooms connect, so colours flow from one space to the next rather than changing abruptly at each doorway. We think about the colours you are keeping, such as floors, benchtops, tiles and furniture, and how much natural light each room gets. Small and dark rooms need particular care. Our guide to paint colours for small and dark rooms has ideas.

Exterior colour schemes

Outside, the starting point is what you cannot easily change: the roof, brick, stone, fencing and the streetscape around you. A good exterior scheme usually has a body colour, a trim colour and sometimes an accent for the front door or detail. Dark colours look striking but absorb more heat, which puts extra stress on timber and render, so we talk through how a colour will perform as well as how it looks.

For period homes, we can suggest palettes that suit the era and point out where a Heritage Overlay may affect your choice. See heritage house painting and our guide to choosing exterior house colours in Melbourne.

Sheen and finish

The same colour looks different in a flat, low sheen or gloss finish, and sheen also changes how hard-wearing and washable a surface is. We help you choose the right finish for each surface, from flat ceilings to semi-gloss trims and gloss front doors. Our guide to paint sheen levels explains the options.

What you come away with

Colour advice is part of our free site inspection. By the end you have a shortlist from Dulux, Taubmans or Wattyl ranges, tested on your own walls, and the final colours and finishes are written into your quote with the areas they apply to. That way the painters, the paint order and you are all working from the same list. If you would like a larger whole-house scheme, ask when you book.