Wow with Colour: Make a Striking First Impression in Your New Home

If you're excited to show friends and family your new home following a big move, why not use colour to impress your guests?

“How can I use colour to wow visitors when they walk into my home?”

In our recent survey, almost 50% of movers admitted to obsessing over how good their new home’s decorating scheme looks before guests come to visit.

One in 10 people even confessed that they would avoid inviting anyone over if they thought their home wasn’t looking up to scratch.

Psychologist and colour expert Ingrid Collins says this is completely normal. In fact, being house-proud is practically wired into our brains.

“The way we present ourselves in our homes and clothes gives off subtle non-verbal signals,” she explains. “Human beings are basically tribal at heart and we strive to impress other members of the tribe with our appearance.”

One failsafe way of making a strong and lasting impression is to use bold colour in your home.

Add colour to your home

The power of colour

The unspoken messages our homes send become even more important when we’ve just moved house. We want to show our friends and family that we’ve made a fresh new start and that we’re going up in the world.

One failsafe way of making a strong and lasting impression is to use bold colour in your home. But some colours have more impact than others. Here are five bold choices with serious wow-factor.

Red is the most energising colour on the spectrum and can lend a space a warm and welcoming feel.

Create warmth with energising red

1) Red

Red is the most energising colour on the spectrum and can lend a space a warm and welcoming feel. It looks particularly inviting when lit by candlelight, making it a great choice for dining rooms.

Which paints? 10YR 14/348 or 50RR 11/286

Orange fizzes with vitality. Paint it on your walls and you’ll instantly create the sense that this is a happy, lively home.

Create a happy home with orange

2) Orange

Orange fizzes with vitality. Paint it on your walls and you’ll instantly create the sense that this is a happy, lively home. Used on its own, it can be a bit overwhelming, so try toning it down by pairing it with its complementary colour, blue, for a sharp, contemporary look.

Alternatively, go for a versatile shade like Copper Blush. It looks great on its own, or add warmth to your scheme by using it on an accent wall.

Which paints? 50YR 25/556 with 70BG 24/380, 30YR 41/263

Gold tones ooze opulence, making them the perfect choice if you want to surround your guests with luxury.

Go bold with gold

3) Gold

Gold tones ooze opulence, making them the perfect choice if you want to surround your guests with luxury. A little can go a long way, so go for pale shades on your walls, adding extra glam factor with carefully-chosen gold accessories.

Which paints? 30YY 69/216 or [40YY 76/112] (/en/colour-palettes/40yy-76112)

Purple’s rich tones radiate confidence and self-esteem, although it generally works best as an accent rather than all-over colour.

Make a statement with rich purple

4) Purple

Paint with deep purple and you’re guaranteed to make a statement. Its rich tones radiate confidence and self-esteem. Because it’s so intense, it generally works best as an accent rather than all-over colour.

Which paints? 23RB 11/349, 30RR 09/187 or 30RB 15/086

Teal is the colour of choice for trend-savvy decorators, but it’s also highly versatile. It works just as well as a backdrop to cutting-edge contemporary schemes as it does in more traditional homes.

Try versatile teal

5) Teal

Teal is the colour of choice for trend-savvy decorators, but it’s also highly versatile. It works just as well as a backdrop to cutting-edge contemporary schemes as it does in more traditional homes and, depending on the tone you choose, can appear dark and moody or bright and invigorating.

Which paints? 30BG 44/248, 90BG 10/067 or 90GG 21/219

Top tip

Test out your bold colours with our ICI Dulux Visualizer APP – a handy app that lets you see what your freshly-painted room will look like at the push of a button.