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Choosing the right colour to paint your summer house is a big decision. You have to choose from a range of options, from cool to warm hues — or something in between. Check our list below and see which one best suits your vision.
Cool Colours
Cool colours create a calm and spacious feel. They’re worth considering if you want your summer house to feel relaxed and appear larger.
Lighter shades give off an airy ambience, while darker tones add cosiness. These colours mimic nature, including water and sky. They’re versatile, too, and pair well with other hues, giving you plenty of options to play with.
These hues include blue, green, and purple, and you can choose among the following shades:
- Sky blue
- Powder blue
- Aquamarine
- Mint green
- Sage
- Teal
- Lavender
- Mauve
- Indigo
Consider painting the exterior walls soft, powdery blue to mirror the clear skies. This hue has a light and calming effect, which can soften the edge of the garden building. It also pairs nicely with pure white if you want something simpler.
Think about mixing in some other colours for more dimension. Try combining light blue with a slightly darker shade like teal. Tip: Test colours in natural light to get that perfect cool-toned palette.
Warm Colours
And then there comes the warm colours with reds, oranges, and yellows. Visually, they add vibrancy, energy, and intimacy to summer houses.
These hues bring to mind the earthy tones of autumn leaves or sun-baked clay. They’ll also remind you of the summer sunset or a crackling bonfire. Consider them for a welcoming and lively garden retreat.
Try different combinations of the following shades:
- Crimson
- Brick red
- Terracotta
- Apricot
- Amber
- Burnt orange
- Sunshine yellow
- Mustard
- Buttercup
To give you an idea, how about painting the main walls in a warm terracotta or sunny yellow for a vibrant look? Use accents of fiery red or burn orange for door frames or window shutters to add contrast and depth. Mixing lighter and darker shades also creates visual interest. Tip: Balance bold tones with neutral ones (more on that later) to avoid overwhelming the space.
Neutral Colours
You can never go wrong with neutral colours for a timeless and versatile summer house! They either have a light or bold colour — more of being muted and appear to lack colour.
Neutrals may not be part of the colour wheel, but they complement primary and secondary colours. Examples include beige, taupe, grey, cream, black, and white. These colours can be complex in tone; mixing different colours creates unique shades.
They also have underlying hues that change with different lighting. For instance, greige is a mix of light grey and beige, with yellow hues in natural light and grey in fluorescent.
Here are some of the colours that make up a neutral palette:
- Sand
- Ivory
- Charcoal
- Ash
- Stone
- Mushroom
- Khaki
- Oatmeal
- Hazel
- Copper
- Mocha
- Platinum
Neutral colours provide a clean canvas against which greenery can stand out. Paint the walls with soft ivory or warm taupe to create a subtle backdrop. Charcoal can add depth and is good for accents, and stone for textures and visual interest. Keep the palette cohesive by sticking to a few neutral tones and balancing light and dark shades. Try different combinations until you achieve a welcoming and cosy feel.
So, which tone and colour will go for? You might as well check out our range of paints to get your ideas underway!
If you have any further questions, contact us and don’t hesitate to give us a call at 01909 768840. Next on your reading list: How to Maintain Your Summer House
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