Sam's Designer Favourites

The Magic of Paint Never Ceases to Amaze Me!

When you paint your walls and architectural details like trim work, a fireplace mantel or even a piece of furniture, the transformation is instant. Here are 13 of my favourite BeautiTone Designer paint colours – from hardworking neutrals and perfect pinks to soothing blues, calming greens and lovely lavender.

These timeless colours are sure to elevate the look of your home. My hope is that this collection of my favourite colours will help you take the guesswork out of choosing the right hues for your home.

Looking for big change? Then paint your walls, trim and ceiling the same colour. For a lower-commitment splash of colour, consider highlighting specific elements like interior doors or smaller spaces, such as a powder room or entryway. Personally, I’m a big fan of making a colour statement by painting kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, console tables, the backs of bookshelves or inside a pantry. But even small paint projects – like painting trays, lamp bases or vases – will add colourful delight to your space.

Monochromatic Colour

Using a single colour in various shades, like combining Into the Surf, Weekend Bliss and Yoga-Na-Love-It – will make your space more relaxed and soothing. If you’re a lover of neutrals, consider colour capping a room where you apply lighter shades to your walls and deeper shades to your ceiling with Drifting Sand, Luxe Look and Shiplap.

Designer Tip

Note that a palette of analogous colours (colours that are side-by-side on the colour wheel) will be soothing. Using complementary colours (which are opposite each other on the colour wheel) will add energy to a space.

The sheen and finish of paint you choose will also affect its appearance. Walls painted a particular green in a flat finish won’t look the same as kitchen cabinets in the exact same green applied in a high-gloss finish.

Also consider how a paint colour will work with the colours of your floors, countertops and fixtures, as well as other elements in your space. Remember that every element in a room affects the whole scheme. Which is why this trick is so effective: When a designer wants to amp up a paint colour, we’ll add more of that colour to a room with furnishings and accessories. A blue rug or lamp, for example, will make blue painted walls appear bluer. Magic!

With all these elements influencing the appearance of colour, it really is crucial to test a paint colour in your room. I’m not talking about a tiny swatch; get a tester pot and paint a 2' x 4' section of your wall. Alternately, you could paint a similarly-sized piece of poster board or foam core, which gives you the advantage of moving the colour around the space to see how it looks beside the window, for instance, as opposed to a dark corner, or beside particular pieces of furniture or artwork. Also remember to look at your test area during different times of the day. And keep testing until you find a hue that works for you!