Color

The ultimate neutral, white is one of those colors that goes with everything. At Lick, we have a total of \nten white paints\n making up our edit, each with their own unique character, warmth and style. Here’s how to get clued up on your undertones, learn what white best suits a north, east, south and west-facing room, and how to find your dream white for your space.\nLet's talk undertones\nUndertones are what will change up the temperature of a color. At Lick, we use five for our whites, and you can expect them to do a little something like this to your room: \nGrey: in the paint industry adding grey is actually called adding a tone, so you can imagine the impact that it has on every color. This undertone is going to make your room feel a bit more contemporary and a bit crisper (depending on how much you add);\nYellow: get ready, things are about to get warm and cozy\nBlue: this will add some coolness and freshness\nLilac: warmer than blue and cooler than green, lilac adds a lovely feminine touch\nGreen: natural and soothing, green will add some warmth without it being too creamy\nDrop a tint. Throw some shade.\nNext up in this quick-fire color theory class are (surprise) tints and shades. \nOnce you’ve got your head around the undertones, remember that there’s also the intensity of color to wrestle with. In other words, do you want the lighter shade of pale or to head over to the dark side?\nAdd white (yep, you can add more white to get a different kind of white) – color buffs call that a tint. Add black, and they’ll say – now that’s a shade. So next time your protesting husband/wife/housemate/guinea pig claims that there’s no such thing as different shades of white, gladly refer them here as you prepare your best smug face and pick up a paintbrush.\nLearn more about \ncolor theory\n.\ncolor compatibility and room direction\nHere's what white paint we recommend for rooms with different directions...\nNorth-facing rooms: warm and yellow white paint\nNorth-facing rooms: northern light is the coolest of the lot. It casts a blue hue, so try to avoid cool whites like \nWhite 01\n and \nwhite grey wall paint White 02\n (you could just about get away with \nlinen white paint, White 04\n) and look more to \nWhite 03\n and \nWhite 05 paint\n whose creamy undertones will warm it up nicely. Or for a dose more depth, try \ntaupe Greige 02 paint\n.

East-facing rooms: pure and chalky white paint\nEast-facing rooms: you’ll see a lot of change in them. Whatever white you choose will look very different whether it’s sunset or sunrise. But easterly spaces have a tendency to look a bit bluer, so undertones of blue, green and violet are a good shout on the whole. Take our chalky White 06 paint with its touch of pink, or translate that tone talk to our white palette, and we’d suggest the coolest white of them all – White 01.

South-facing rooms: linen and off white paint\nSouth-facing rooms: they have a golden glow going on and the good news is, they pretty much suit all whites. Make a southern room stay on the right side of light and breezy with white that has a soft grey base like See our \nlinen-soft White 04 paint\n or our \noff White 02\n. You don’t want to need sunglasses whenever you’re in the room so it’s wise to temper it a tad.

West-facing rooms: warm and yellow white paint\nWest-facing rooms: just like rooms that look to the east, westerly rooms are the most changeable. On the whole, they look all the better with a warmer white for company. So, swerve the greyish whites and follow similar advice to north-facing rooms – creamy whites or grey beiges, also known as greige, also known as a step-up from white. 

It’s true what they say: opposites really do attract. Especially when it comes to complementary color schemes.\n\nThe go-to choice for our Lick decorators, a complementary color scheme uses hues from opposite sides of the color wheel. \nPick your favourite paint color\n and then pair it with its opposite. Not only does this allow you to be more varied with your selection, it creates a look that’s naturally appealing to the eye.\n\nWhether you opt for muted tones or full saturation, a complementary color scheme is such a success thanks to opposites working together in perfect contrasting harmony.\n\nIn this blog, we’re going to whirl our way along the color wheel and explore which colors are complementary and the different ways in which you can use them together.

Your basic complementary color schemes include:\nComplementary colors: pink & green\n\nWe love this pairing. Try \nPink 01\n or \nPink 03\n with \nGreen 05\n or \nGreen 07\n for a grown-up feminine look. For more of a deep dive into how green works in interiors, read \neverything you need to know about green paint colors\n.

Complementary colors: blue & orange\n\nOn the gentler side of things, \nBlue 01\n with \nOrange 02\n creates a chic retro feel. Read about our \nretro color palette\n and why these colors ooze 70s glamour. Or, if you want to make a statement, raise the saturation and go for \nBlue 05\n with \nOrange 01\n. 

Complementary colors: purple & yellow\n\nIt might seem like an odd one, but in more muted tones, this pairing works. Try using \nPurple 01\n with \nYellow 01\n plus \nWhite 03\n as something of a mediator, and you’ve got yourself a gorgeous trio.

Complementary colors: red & green\n\nOk, this color combo shouts Christmas louder than Brian Blessed in a Santa suit, but opt for a more pastel scheme and you get pink and green. A much more popular and versatile option.

Then there’s what’s known as split complementary. This is a variation of the complementary color scheme, using two opposing colors (rather than just one). It creates a strong contrast without the risk of colors clashing, which can sometimes occur with pure complementary hues. A couple of split complementary schemes that we love:\nComplementary colors: green, blue & orange\n\nThey say that blue and green should never be seen, but by using various tints, tones, and shades of the color wheel, this combo really works. A mix of \nPink 02\n, \nOrange 02\n, \nGreen 07\n, \nBlue 03\n, and \nBlue 04\n creates a timeless vintage vibe that we love.

Complementary colors: green, pink & purple\nWhilst staying on the softer side of shades and tones, using \nPink 04\n, \nPurple 01\n, \nGreen 01\n, and \nGreen 02\n has a soft, feminine feel. 

Next up, there’s the triadic color scheme. This uses three colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. For example, the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. \nA triadic color scheme uses every fourth color, leaving three colors between each. This can be a tricky color scheme to pull off (you’ve been warned!), but when you do, the results are show-stopping. A few triadic color schemes to get you started:\nRed, yellow & blue\nBy using these warm shades of \nRed 01\n, \nYellow 02\n, and \nBlue 05\n, it creates a nostalgic, retro feel.

Pink, yellow & blue\nWhilst this modern \npastel paint\n palette of \nPink 05\n, \nYellow 03\n, \nBlue 08\n has all the vibrancy and bon viveur of an \nart deco interior design\n. Love pastels? Check out \nhow to style the pastel paint colors from our Palette 01 in your home\n.

Double complementary (tetradic) color scheme\nThink \nmaximalism\n with this one. The color scheme for those who like to apply the \ngo big or go home\n mantra to their, well, home. A tetradic color scheme is composed of two sets of complementary colors. It can be in the form of a square or rectangle pairing.

Considered to be the richest pairing as it uses four colors arranged into two complementary color pairs. It can be hard to harmonise and it requires one color to dominate or subdue the colors. \nIf you use all four colors equally, the color scheme will look unbalanced. Another tricky one to pull off, but when you do, the results are spectacular. If you’re scratching your head about where to begin, here’s some inspiration from our color experts. \n\nAn example of square pairing that we love uses red (in this case, pink) with green, and blue with yellow (or orange). Here’s a palette we created that has a fun and youthful feel:\n\nWhite 03\n, \nYellow 01\n, \nBlue 04\n, \nGreen 05\n, \nPink 05\n

An example of a rectangle pairing that works together uses blue or green with purple and red or orange. This palette manages to use a wide range of the color wheel, yet retain a soothing and natural feel:\n\n\nPurple 01\n, \nBlue 09\n, \nGreen 08\n, \nWhite 06\n, \nPink 02\n, \nRed 03\n

We hope that’s given you some food for thought and helped you understand complementary color tones. Not your thing? Perhaps you prefer to keep things simpler with a monochromatic color scheme or an \nanalogous color scheme.\n

Image via @teawithruby\n\nColor schemes are the secret to making a room feel relaxing and harmonious while still having a distinct personality. Instead of your favorite furnishings competing for attention, a color scheme gives each piece its own moment to create impact. When you go a step further and apply a color scheme to your entire home, you’ll immediately notice how it improves the sense of flow as you look through doorways and move between rooms.\nCreating a color scheme for an entire house might seem like an overwhelming task, but it’s possible to break it down into smaller steps that are much more enjoyable to plan. Let’s take a look at how to pick the best color scheme for your own house renovation.\n\n1. Think about the vibe you want to create in your space\nBefore you even look at color swatches, it’s important to pin down how you want the atmosphere in your home - and each individual room - to feel. Do you like the idea of a pared-back, continuous tranquillity throughout your home, or would you like each room to contribute to a bold, cheerful statement?\nWhen it comes to individual rooms, where do you want to feel most alert, and where should be restful? Which spaces deserve a formal atmosphere, and which should be more cozy and intimate?\n\n2. Consider the time of day when you use each room\nColor is going to play a big part in uplifting you in the morning and soothing you in the evening so, factor in the time of day you’ll most likely be using each room. For example, an en-suite shower room might be a good candidate for bright, zesty colors to bring energy into your morning, while your living room could be a soothing pink or cocooning navy if that’s where you like to curl up after dinner.\nThe natural light in each room will also have an impact on color. In the morning, light tends to be brighter and clearer, gradually turning more golden and red-toned throughout the day. For this reason, home offices are often best kept in a restful, neutral color that won’t be too intense at any hour.\n\nRead our blog on \nnorth, east, south, and west-facing rooms\n and how this affects light and color. Have you got a north-facing room and don't know which color to paint it? \nCheck out all our \ncolors for north-facing rooms\n.

3. Understand your fixed elements\nWhat items or features are already going to be part of your house renovation? Use them to start informing your color palette. For example, creating a scheme around a beloved rug, rattan console, vibrant wallpaper, or stylish set of furniture to use as a centerpiece. Find the neutrals or background shades to use as the base of your home’s color palette, then use brighter colors within the patterns to inspire smaller splashes of color in soft furnishings and accent décor. Check out these \n5 ways to style your room around your favorite statement furniture\n.

Maybe you’re hoping to keep lovely timber floors exposed, or emphasize a gorgeous wood or \nmarble fireplace surround\n? Create a visual connection in other rooms by choosing the same kind of timber, or a multi-tonal wood that picks out the same colors but also pulls in other shades. \n\nIf your woodwork has a clear undertone, you can pick a paint palette that matches and emphasizes the shades, or contrasts with it. A third option is to choose \ncomplementary colors\n as the undertones; balancing yellow-toned woodwork with a violet- or blue-toned paint, like \nGrey 02\n or \nGrey 03\n, for example. Shop our \ngrey paint colors\n.\n\nLet the architecture guide your color transitions. Corners, molding, staircases and archways are natural points at which to change to a new color or pattern, and you can break up large walls by \npainting a wall mural\n. Let your staircases's wood tones naturally color block or paint them a contrasting color (check out these \npainting stairs ideas\n for more inspiration).

4. Finding your favorite colors and style\nDon’t fall into the trap of renovating just because of a current trend, or to impress friends or neighbors. It’s your space and home: fill it with colors you love and that make you happy.\n\nYour color palette should be imbued with your favorite colors and should avoid the ones you like least. A good exercise to help you find these is to find lots of inspiration from magazines, Pinterest and Instagram to slowly identify a pattern of what you’re drawn to. Create a visual \ninterior design mood board\n with your favorite magazine clippings and notice how you gravitate towards certain colors and patterns. Find yourself gravitating to bright and bold colors? You'll probably love these \ncolorful bedroom and living room ideas\n. It's all about what works for you and which colors you are drawn to. Check out Tash's advice below:

Of course, you might have known your favorite interior colors for a long time: \nTash Bradley\n, Lick’s Lead Color Specialist explains, “My favorite color is a warm, burnt, buttercup yellow. My mum, who is a property developer and interior designer, has decorated all hallways and front doors in this beautiful yellow color. It’s a very uplifting and happy color, which always reminds me of my childhood. This is why I’ve used this color in pockets in my home - it brings me great comfort and instantly takes me back”.

“Your color palette should be imbued with your favourite colors and should avoid the ones you like least.”

Maybe your colors aren’t as specific, but there’s an era or style you want to evoke.\n\nDecorating a beautiful 1920s home, for example, might have you reaching for the dusky pinks and blues from our \nNeo Deco pastels paint palette,\n while groovy ‘70s architecture is the ideal canvas for \nretro colors like warm reds and yellows\n (read about our \nretro color palette\n). For something more contemporary, try the \nJapandi style\n and embrace a combination of \nstripped-back neutral paint colors and earthy tones\n.\n\nLooking for inspiration? Check out \nhow to style the Miami neo deco pastel paint colors in your home\n and real all about the \nMiami art deco style\n.

5. Choosing your neutrals\nBright colors can be daunting, so it’s okay to start with a relaxing neutral hue and gradually add color. Your neutral colors are the motif that appear in every room to tie everything together. It might be on your hallway walls, your bathroom floor, your kitchen counters and your living room woodwork - the arrangement is up to you.\n\nAnd so is the color - although the majority of people choose a shade of white as their neutral color, you can use something else. For example, \nlight Pink 01\n is one of our most popular neutral shades.\n\nThere are warm neutrals, like \nWhite 06\n, which has a delicate touch of pink, or \nBeige 03\n, which has gentle yellow tones (read up on the difference between yellow based and \ngrey beige paint\n). Our collection of cool neutrals includes the blue-toned \nGrey 01\n, and \nWhite 01\n, \nWhite 02\n or \nWhite 04\n, which each have hints of grey. To balance a palette that’s a combination of warm and cool, try \nGreige 01\n or \nGreige 02\n.

6. Creating color harmony\nThere are three main ways to build a color scheme, each creating a different kind of atmosphere:\n\nMonochromatic color schemes\n use the same color in lighter and darker shades, for example, pale blue, mid blue (like our \ndusky Blue 10 paint\n) and deep blue. The effect is usually serene and relaxing - perfect for bedrooms or tranquil home offices.\n

\nAnalogous color scheme \nuse colors that are next to each other on the \ncolor wheel\n, like supporting a burnt orange with accents in deep yellow and red. The effect is a little more energized to look at than tonal colors and can bring a hint of spice into a hallway or dining area. Another great way to spice up a hallway is through wallpaper. Try an analogous color scheme in the design and instantly energize the space.

\n\nComplementary color schemes\n involve colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel, like green and purple. These bold combinations are fun and inject life into a room, but can be a little overwhelming in large doses. Try sprinkling these kinds of contrasts into statement kitchens or vibrant living areas.\n

Choosing colors with the same weights and undertones will make even the brightest combinations feel easy on the eye, rather than jarring.\n\nFind rhythm in the repetition of your colors throughout the house. Even if each room has a different base shade, add flashes of each accent color to keep a sense of consistency and balance. The rule of thumb is that your space should be 60% your dominant shade, 30% your sub-dominant shade and 10% your accent color.\n\nRemember that color is everywhere, not just walls. Add textiles, paint woodwork and cover shelving with wallpaper if it helps tie your rooms together.

7. Getting practical: choosing colors and samples\nWe would recommend choosing 8-10 colors for your palette to cover an entire house renovation with some variety. In addition to our pre-curated \nNeo Deco pastels\n, \nJapandi style\n and \n70s retro color\n palettes that we mentioned earlier, we’ve got \npastel color tips\n, \nspring colors inspiration\n, and \nthe Year of the Ox shades\n to give you more ideas.\n\nOnce you’ve decided on your colors, ordering \npaint samples\n is the best way to understand how your palette will come to life. Start with one space, like the entryway or the room you want to have the biggest impact (probably your living room or kitchen).\n\nNext, move onto the connecting rooms and areas you can see from the first room, choosing different colors from your scheme. Each part of the house can still have a distinctive style and focus, as long as you link them together through trims, flooring, accents or neutral elements.\n\nOur \npeel-and-stick paint samples\n allow you to move them between walls, helping you to understand the way the light hits the colors at certain times of day and how they look in different rooms and corners. Stick them up 1-2 days minimum to see how they make you feel and you’ll be much more confident that the colors you pick are 100% right.

Renovating a whole house is a big undertaking, but the process should still be enjoyable. Choosing a color scheme is a surprisingly simple way to add personality and make your decisions easier at the same time. Now that you know how to create a color scheme when planning a house renovation, check out our range of \npaint colors\n and \nwallpaper designs\n, and \norder some samples online\n or read on for more \ndecorating tips\n.\n

Choosing the right type of paint for your interior decor project can involve a fair few choices along the way. This includes the type of paint finish you choose and how well it can work across multiple surfaces.\n\nAt Lick, we’re huge fans of how well matt paint works for different surfaces. It’s highly versatile and offers a flawless finish on everything from fireplace surrounds to front doors.\n\nNot quite sure whether matt paint is the right choice for you? Learn why you should buy Lick’s durable matt paint and the many, many surfaces you can use it on.\nWhat is matt paint? \n \n\nFirst, you may be wondering what matt paint even is and the difference between the two most popular types of paint finishes: matt and eggshell. Here’s the lowdown: \n\nMatt: \nKnown for its durability and smooth texture, matt paint dries to a paper-like finish without any hint of gloss or shine. This means that it doesn’t reflect any light, making it the perfect choice to cover up imperfections. \n\nEggshell: \nEggshell paint\n offers a finish that is, quite literally, similar to the surface of an eggshell. Not as shiny as satin or gloss, and not as matt as matt paint, eggshell is somewhere in the middle. If you’re after a finish with a soft sheen that you can emphasise or tone down with lighting, eggshell offers the lowest lustre option before matt paint. Read more about our \neggshell paint range here\n.\nWhen should you use Lick matt paint?\n\nThanks to its durability and coverage, matt paint has been one of the most popular paint finishes for decades and you’ll often find that it’s the paint of choice in homes with traditional or classic decor.\n\nAs matt paints absorb light and offer a smooth finish, they’re the ideal choice for walls and surfaces with any imperfections. The light-absorbing qualities of matt paint help to reduce how visible the imperfections are.\nLick matt paint for kitchens\n\nWhen sprucing up the look of your kitchen, painting your cupboards is a great place to start. Get started with our step-by-step guide on \nhow to paint kitchen cupboards\n. \n\nOn a budget? Check out how \nKelly and Ben transformed their kitchen with just £40 using paint\n.

Lick matt paint for wooden cabinets and furniture \n\nWood is yet another surface that matt paint works beautifully on, and it’s a great way to \nupcycle furniture\n that could do with a bit of fresh life. Learn \nhow to upcycle your chest drawers using Lick paint\n and use matt paint to carry out the \nultimate IKEA Billy bookcase hack\n.

Lick matt paint for laminate cabinets\n\nWhen it comes to \npainting kitchen cupboards\n and bathroom cabinets, matt paint works equally as well on laminate surfaces as it does on wood. Find out more about \nupcycling bathroom cabinets with leftover paint\n.

Lick matt paint for fireplace surrounds\n\nPaint your fireplace surrounds to turn your fireplace into a focal design feature, even when it's not all lit up. Our matt paint will do the trick across wooden, brick and marble fireplaces. Learn more about \nthe steps to paint fireplace surrounds\n.

Lick matt paint for stairs\nCould your staircase do with a bit of a makeover? A tin of matt paint may be just what it needs. Get inspired by what \nHelen and Ben did with their staircase using Lick paint and a £60 budget\n.

Lick matt paint for radiators and metal surfaces\n\nA surface that tends to show imperfections over time, radiators and other metal surfaces are the perfect candidates for Lick matt paint. Follow our steps to \nprep and paint your radiator like a pro\n.

Lick matt paint for baseboards and window frames\n\nMatt paint works a treat on oft-neglected nooks and crannies around your windows and floors. Here’s more on \nhow to paint baseboards\n and \nhow to paint window frames\n.

Lick matt paint for MDF paneling\n\nAn affordable and easy way to make your walls look more interesting, wall panels can give any room a bit more depth, revive the decor, and help cover up uneven surfaces or walls that may require filling. Follow our easy step-by-step guide on \nhow to do DIY wall paneling\n.\n\nShop \nMDF suitable paint\n.

Lick matt paint for internal doors\n\nAlthough internal doors may not be the first place you think to start when decorating your home, painting them can add an instant pop of color and fresh energy to any space. Learn how from our guide on \nhow to paint internal surfaces\n.

You’ve seen what matt paint can do and now it’s time for the fun part: choosing the colors. Explore our range of trendy \nmatt colors\n and prepare to kick off your next paint project.\n\n\nShop our designer paint colors\n

White 06

White 01

Pink 04

White 05

White 04

Add a touch of class to your space with pigment-rich white paint, available in a range of shades for every room, big or small, north facing or south. Take your pick from pure white, off-white, creamy white, linen white, oaty white, chalk white and even more.

White paint

White 07

White 01

White 02

White 03

White 04

White 05

White 06

Need some help getting started?

Color explained: everything you need to know about white paint

Understanding complementary color schemes

How to create a color scheme when planning a house renovation

Why you should buy Lick matt paint