Are you looking to make your home feel cosier? As we move into the winter months and temperatures begin to drop, we are all looking for quick tricks and tips to keep warm for less this season. One factor that can have an impact on the internal temperature and cosiness of your home, is the colour of your walls. But how?
As the sun shines through windows into your home, rooms with darker-coloured walls will absorb energy from the sun’s rays. This is retained and adds warmth to a room. Lighter-coloured walls, on the other hand, reflect light rays and this results in less transfer of heat into a room (perfect for the summer, in spaces that experience a lot of sun exposure).
To add warmth to your favourite spaces this season, opt for darker colours and create a den-like, cosy setting. Think earthy tones, dark greys and vivid terracotta-type colours.
Navamin Studio / Billy Jo Catbagan
Colours can also have a psychological impact on determining the temperature of a room. Some colours may psychologically make you feel warmer in a room, while others may have the opposite effect, and leave you feeling chilly.
Paints containing pigments of red, yellow and orange are often considered warming, such as terracotta or rust-coloured paint. These can conjure up associations with heat, fire, and the sun, making a space feel more snug, welcoming and inviting. Colder colours can often be associated with light hues of green, blue, indigo and violet.
Morgan Vander Hart / Beazy
Using a dark, rich coloured paint with matt finish, such as emerald green or chocolate brown, on your ceiling can also help create a cosy, warm, intimate vibe, by drawing the space in. This is perfect for rooms with high ceilings that perhaps feel cold and uninviting during the winter months.
Top-tip: if opting to paint your ceiling, be sure to use a specific ceiling paint. Ceiling paint is more viscous than your regular interior emulsion, which reduces the likelihood of drips, and reduces the number of coats you need to apply, in order to cover ceiling stains. Find your nearby Community RePaint scheme and get in touch with them directly to find out if they have ceiling paint in stock.
Goran Ivos / Reagan M
Inspired by the tips above and interested in cosying up your favourite spaces? Pick up affordable, leftover paint from your nearby Community RePaint scheme and give redecorating a go! Click here to read our top tips for decorating your home on a budget.
Community RePaint is a UK-wide paint reuse network, sponsored by Dulux. Our schemes collect leftover paint and redistribute it to benefit individuals, families, communities, and charities in need of paint, at an affordable cost. Individual full and part-full tins of paint are available for sale, starting from £2 a litre. Click here to find your nearby scheme.
