Africote: Colour trends and tips to live by

Colour choice is a very personal decision so make sure you choose a colour trend that you love, so whether you are changing your décor or repainting, it must reflect your personality and your style. After all, it is your space to enjoy in the end. Trends are launched annually, and choices of four to five selected trend palettes are offered. They are created by looking collectively at the world of design including fashion, textiles, art and technology. Colour can alter our perception of a room’s size and shape. Different colours and even different values of the same colour have different effects. Lighter and cooler colours tend to recede and appear further away. Darker colours and warmer colours advance, so they appear to move towards us.

We can use this concept to make a space look larger or smaller; or change the shape of a space; or draw attention to focal points and positive aspects of a space; and hide or minimize the not-so-attractive features. The easiest advice that Jane Herbst from Africote can offer when faced with the daunting prospect of picking a colour is the 60, 30, 10 rule. Meaning 60% is your majority colour, 30% is your secondary colour and 10% is your accent colour.

Think of when you dress yourself in a suit. Your trousers and jacket are your main colour, your shirt will be another colour and your shoes are the accent. Therefore 60% of your colour choice will be for your walls, 30% your upholstery and 10% a feature piece or wall art etc. Be creative with what you already have. Paint your existing furniture – whether you paint it up brightly or strip it bare and add a paint technique for a more natural look. A coat of paint breathes fresh new life again. When you have selected your colour you then have the choice of what finish you would prefer. Matt diffuses light, allowing it to hide imperfections on walls. Texture absorbs light, creating a sense of richness and depth, but is hard to clean and collects dust. A sheen finish reflects light and can be easily cleaned, and it is great for high traffic areas. Contact: Africote