The 5 Biggest Colour Mistakes People Make (And How We Fix Them With a Laugh, a Chat and a Sample Board)

Choosing the right paint colour sounds simple… until you’re standing in front of a wall that looks nothing like the swatch you loved in the shop.

Over the years, Jessica and I have helped so many clients avoid the classic colour mistakes that lead to disappointment, repaints and that horrible feeling of ‘why does this look nothing like Pinterest?’

We helped a client choose their colours in Guildford recently. She’d fallen in love with a blue she’d seen online, but once we tested it on her north-facing wall, it turned a completely different shade. Classic lighting trick! After trying a few options together, she ended up with a warmer tone that suited the room perfectly — and she kept saying, ‘I’d never have picked this on my own.’

Here are the 5 biggest colour mistakes people make — and how to avoid them:

1. Choosing colours in the shop instead of at home. Shops use bright, artificial lighting. Your home doesn’t. Always test colours where they will actually live.

2. Forgetting how much natural light changes colour. North-facing rooms look cooler, south-facing rooms look warmer. The same paint can look completely different depending on the room.

3. Too many feature walls. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. We help clients choose where a feature wall adds personality — and where it just complicates things.

4. Matching everything too perfectly. When everything matches, nothing stands out. A little contrast brings a room to life.

5. Picking colours because they’re trendy, not because you love them. A colour should feel like ‘you’, not like Instagram.

Pickle usually oversees the whole process… He takes colour approval very seriously.

In short, choosing colours is a mix of instinct, experience and seeing them in the right light. If you ever need help picking something that actually works in your home, we’re always happy to talk it through — with laughs, honesty and lots of sample cards.

Till next time,

Zo