Complete Guide to Choosing Colour Tones for Your Apartment

Colour Psychology for Home

In choosing colours, one needs to gather samples and swatches after thoroughly understanding the effect of the colours on a space or people’s emotions.

Warm colours: Warm colours like red and orange are easy to energise, while yellow stimulates the mind and creates a cosy and inviting atmosphere. These are best for dining rooms and living areas.

Cool colours: Cool colours such as blue, green, and purple can evoke serenity as well. These are perfect for bedrooms and even bathrooms.

Neutral tones: Neutral tones like grey, white, beige, and taupe are great for smaller apartments. These offer balance and can serve as backdrops for bold artworks or furnishings.

Your apartment’s feel and functionality are dictated by the tone you select, and it goes far beyond preference.

Match Your Colour Palette with Natural Light

Ignoring how light affects paint is one of the most common mistakes made by homeowners. In artificial light, as opposed to natural sunlight, the same colour can appear very different. North-facing windows typically experience cooler light, so warmer shades like soft peach or warm beige balance the coolness. South-facing apartments enjoy bright, warm sunlight and can handle mint green, icy blue, or slate grey. East-facing rooms receive bright morning light, which fades by noon. Soft light yellows, creams, and light blues complement these mid-light conditions wonderfully. West-facing rooms glow in the evening sun, and cooler earthy tones like terracotta and coral deepen beautifully.

Also read, Tips for making the most of natural light in your apartment

Room-by-Room Guide to Perfect Paint Colours

Living room: This is the heart of your home, a place for family and guests. Choose earthy neutrals like taupe, greige, or pastel beige to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Want to add character? Choose accent walls in olive green, rust, or navy.

Kitchen & dining: Stimulate appetite and lively conversation with inviting shades like warm whites, butter yellow, or sage green. If your cabinetry is bold, balance it with a muted wall tone for harmony.

Bedroom: Soft blues, muted greens, and gentle lavenders promote sleep and relaxation. Avoid overly bright or stimulating shades. If you love dark tones, go for matte charcoal or deep plum with lighter bed linen.

Bathrooms: Pale aqua, misty grey, or off-white give a clean, spa-like feel. For smaller bathrooms, lighter colours make the space feel larger and more open.

Study or home office: Boost concentration with calming colours like light greys, soft blues, or forest green. Avoid overly stimulating reds or oranges in your study or workspace.

Create Visual Flow Across Rooms

Open-plan apartments or homes with open views look better with matching colours. Use one main neutral colour in the whole house. Next, give each room a different complementary colour. Select warm beige as the primary colour, for instance. Use charcoal in the study, dusty rose in the bedroom, and sage green in the kitchen. This maintains a polished yet interesting appearance.

Combining Colours: Tone, Tint, and Contrast

Combining colours through tone, tint, and contrast helps create depth, balance, and visual interest in your interiors, making each space feel cohesive and dynamic.

Monochromatic Scheme: Monochromatic schemes (different tints of one colour) offer elegance and calm, perfect for minimalist homes.

Analogous Schemes:  Analogous schemes (colours next to each other on the wheel, like green and blue) are naturally harmonious and balanced.

Complementary Schemes: Complementary Schemes (opposites like blue and orange) add visual excitement but should be used carefully to avoid overstimulation.

When designing a space, use 60% of a dominant colour (such as for walls), 30% of a secondary colour (like upholstery or curtains), and 10% as an accent (through decor, cushions, or artwork).

Matching Wall Colours with Your Decor Elements 

Paint should complement your existing or planned furnishings. If your furniture is wooden or neutral-toned, you have more flexibility with colour. However, for homes with colourful upholstery or patterned flooring, choose wall tones that won’t clash or overwhelm. Matte, eggshell, and satin finishes also matter. A matte finish softens strong colours, while satin adds a subtle sheen that works well in kitchens and bathrooms.

Choosing Colours for Compact Apartments

In compact apartments, light and soft colours can make the space seem larger than it is. Soft whites, light greys, and pastels are best as they capture and reflect light, making the rooms feel more open. It is best to avoid placing dark walls unless used as an accent. Mirrors and light-toned furniture aid in enhancing spaciousness when paired with the right wall colours.

Find the Perfect Tone for Your Life  With Vishraam Builders

A colour can turn your apartment into a living sanctuary, rather than just a physical property. Constructing homes that inspire is our ideology, and at Vishraam Builders, carefully selected palettes highlight a home’s true potential. Muted sophistication or bold statements, let your sanctuary speak for you. 

Buying an apartment during the launch phase offers a unique advantage of customisation. Early buyers often get the opportunity to personalise various aspects of their new home, from choosing the wall colour tones and flooring options to deciding on fixtures and finishes. 

Read to know: why prelaunch is the best time to buy an apartment in Thrissur?

Vishraam Builders has been among the top builders in Thrissur and Kochi, and is here to help you find your dream home as we strive to design stunning residences with both beauty and functionality in mind. Our ongoing apartment projects in Kochi and Thrissur offer premium apartment amenities at prime locations, offering you a complete living experience designed to suit your lifestyle and needs. Customising your apartment during development, from choosing the interiors to colour tones , ensures that your home reflects your personality and style right from the start. So why wait? Get in touch with us.