Understanding colour basics
From temperature and tone to lighting and hue — there’s more to colour than meets the eye. Master the basics and learn the intricacies to perfect colour combinations in your home. Artwork: Peering in (Canopy) by Clare Brodie. Colours featured: Dulux Pencarrow and Te Aroha (walls).
How To Guides
Temperature
Colour temperature is all about warm and cold tones. The colours you decorate your home with can not only impact the mood of your overall space, but also its perception making it look bigger or smaller.
Warm
Reds, yellows and oranges are warm colours, and remind us of things like the sun or fire. Warmer colours tend to draw attention and become a natural focal point.
Cool
Cool colours, such as blues, greens and purples are softer to the eye and can recede, creating a larger perception of space.
Tone
Tone is what we refer to when describing the lightness or darkness of a colour. Put simply, lighter tones have more white while darker tones have more black. Light tones are fresh and airy, and make a room appear larger, where dark tones create a lush, opulent space with distinct sophistication.
Hue
Hue is the colour group or collection recognisable to the eye, for example greens or blues. We can break hue down into three levels: primary (red, blue and yellow), secondary (mixes of two primary colours), or tertiary (combination of primary and secondary colours). Colour schemes can also include colours across different hue groups to help you achieve unique combinations.
Chroma
Chroma, or saturation, refers to the intensity of colour and how vivid it is. High-chroma colours are bright and bold, best used for feature walls or accents in smaller volumes to create a striking focal point that pops.
Lighting
Have you ever noticed that your room looks and feels different at various times of the day? That’s because light — both natural and artificial — has a significant impact on the way colours are represented. Rooms that see lots of natural light work with whites, including cooler whites as well as neutral tones and warm and cool colours. However, if you are looking to add brightness to a darker room, explore warmer whites and neutrals or warm colours such as yellow and orange.
Wall
Lyttelton Quarter
Lyttelton Quarter is a soft grey white with a very subtle green undertone. It is ideal as a main wall colour both inside and out. Pair it with soft whites such as Te Āpiti and Mt Aspiring Half as well as deeper greys, greens and neutrals such as Lyttelton Double, Ōhai Half and Pūkaki.
Once you’ve chosen your colour — don’t risk the result. The only way to bring your favourite hues to life at home is to mix Dulux colours with Dulux paint products. With Dulux Wash&Wear®, you’ll get exact colour accuracy as well as a finish that will look freshly painted for longer.
Get the look
Wall
Ruski
The versatility, and often chameleon-like qualities, of grey makes it a great choice for almost every style of home from contemporary to traditional. From welcoming warm greys through to cooler shades, explore the depths of this colour to find the perfect combination for your space.
In-home Colour Consultation
Colour Design Service
Save time and gain colour confidence the smart way with personal guidance from an expert Dulux Colour Consultant. Enjoy a home refresh sooner with our In-home and Online Colour Consultations.
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