In the world of interior design, choosing the right colour palette is paramount. That's why when Benjamin Moore, the renowned paint brand, announced its 'Colour of the Year' for 2024 as Blue Nova, designers and homeowners rejoiced. This interesting, comforting shade of blue with undertones of lavender is set to transform living spaces into cozy sanctuaries.
To help inspire decorators, James Mellan-Matulewicz, creative director at wallpaper brand Bobbi Beck has shared his top tips when it comes to getting the exact same colour for your paint and wallpaper.
James’ top tips are below.
Don’t rely on web colours as a reference. If you’re looking for a perfect match then it’s important to get paper and paint samples in your hands, especially if you’re shopping online. Everyone’s screens have different settings so colours represented online are often distorted.
Start with the paper. While some wallpaper brands offer customisation, it’s generally easier to get a custom paint colour to match the paper. The easiest thing to do is to get a paper sample and take it into a decorating centre. Check with them first, but most of the large decorating stores will offer custom paint colours.
Double check your quantities. If you’re customising a wallpaper or paint to match, you’re unlikely to be able to return any excess, as typically customised products are non-returnable. It’s therefore important to get as accurate as possible with how much paint and paper you need for your project.
Check colours in different lights. Before committing to your colours, it's essential to sample it in the room. Lighting and surroundings can significantly impact how a colour appears. Test a small area of the wall with your chosen paint colour and observe it at different times of the day to ensure it works well with your wallpaper.
Check batch numbers. If you’re ordering from a wallpaper supplier that manufactures in large batches then you should check the batch number before ordering. You want to make sure your sample and final wallpaper order are from the same batch, as you can get colour deviations between print runs.
Be realistic in your expectations. While you may be looking for a perfect colour match between your paint and wallpaper it is important to remember that they’re not the same products so there may always be some minor colour discrepancies. This could be based on how the paint reacts to certain walls, the different finishes across the materials, such as mattes, satins and glosses and how surrounding colours in the room can affect your perception of the other colours.
