How to Choose Paint for your Home Interior.

I started my first renovation at 21, at this time my painting experience was limited to high school art class. When collecting the keys to my first home, I was thrilled by the freedom to design a space that reflected my style—rather than a landlord’s preference for cheap, hard-wearing finishes.

Turning an old cottage into my home was exhilarating, but it didn’t take me long to realise that my enthusiasm far outweighed my skills. My approach to painting was basic—a simple room-by-room plan—and my best source of advice was the local hardware store. While the paint counter staff could explain finishes and techniques, no one covered the subtleties of colour theory, context, or how light transforms a space.

Years later, as an experienced renovator, designer, and colour consultant, I’m often asked how to choose paint, select finishes, and decide where to start. I’m sharing my tips so others can avoid the early mistakes I made—and create spaces they truly love.

When to repaint? How long should a repaint last?

When you paint a room in your home, you should expect it to look good for at least five years—especially if you’ve paid a professional to do it. With the quality of paint available today, it can easily last up to ten years. That said, trends change fast, and so do our lifestyles, so five years is usually a more realistic timeframe before you’re ready for a refresh.

Painting the outside of your home is a whole different story. It’s a bigger job, uses a lot more paint, and exterior paints are pricier per litre. Most people also hire a contractor, and there can be extra costs for things like scaffolding or equipment hire.

The good news is that exterior paints have come a long way in the last decade or so. The technology and durability are much better now, and you can expect a decent exterior paint job to last around ten years if it’s done properly.

If you start to notice paint peeling or fading after only a few years, it’s often due to poor prep work—like skipping sanding, filling gaps, or using the wrong undercoat. Colour choice can also make a big difference. For example, dark colours on walls that get full sun tend to age quickly. They might fade, lose vibrancy, or even start cracking in the heat.

When it comes to choosing interior colours, it’s so important to start with a clear theme or vision for your space—this isn’t something you can easily “fix” later. Be intentional about the mood you want to create. If your vision is vague, you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed by endless, conflicting options instead of simply deciding between shades that all work within your chosen style or palette.

Here’s a breakdown of steps I recommend to help make the decision process easier:

Tip #1 - Understand tone and colour palette

Determine your preferred colour scheme: Start by thinking about the mood you want for each room and which colours will complement your furniture and decor. Do you want light or dark tones? Bold and vibrant, or soft and muted? Creating a mood board can be a huge help—collect images from magazines, websites, or social media that inspire you and refer back to them as your project progresses. Be sure to include any existing elements, like furniture or fabric swatches, since these will influence your choices for walls, ceilings, doors, architraves, and feature details.

Tip #2 - Orientation of Space

Consider the room’s lighting: Both natural and artificial light can dramatically change how a colour looks, so context is everything. Always view your chosen colours in the actual space where they’ll be used—and on the surfaces themselves.

For example, hold a sample up against the wall or paint a small test patch. Laying paint samples on the floor can be misleading because the light hitting them isn’t the same as on the wall—they may appear darker, lighter, more muted, or more vibrant than expected. It’s also a good idea to paint swatches on adjacent walls so you can see how the colour changes throughout the day—from eastern morning light, to midday northern light, to the warm glow of western light in the late afternoon.

Tip #3 - Finish for purpose

Choose the right finish for the job: Paint finishes vary in sheen and durability, so it’s important to match the finish to the purpose. Matte or flat finishes are great at hiding imperfections but aren’t as durable, while gloss finishes are tough and easy to clean—but they’ll highlight any flaws.

• Interior walls: low-sheen, matte, or eggshell (most common)

• Doors, architraves, skirting, picture rails: semi-gloss or gloss

• Ceilings: matte or flat (ceiling white is usually premixed in a flat finish)

I once painted a wall with a matte finish to hide the imperfections of a crooked wall. At first, I loved the look—but within weeks, fingerprints and marks made the wall look worse. Repainting with a low-sheen finish solved the problem, and the crooked wall was barely noticeable.

Tip #4 - Product quality

Select a quality brand: Go for a reputable paint brand that offers good coverage and long-lasting durability. This doesn't mean the most expensive, my experience has taught me more expensive brands don't necessarily deliver a better quality. I usually recommend Taubmans or British Paints, which I’ve found consistently reliable.

You can also use colours from different competitive brands to tint your paint of choice. (Paint shops may say it’s not possible, but in my experience, it works fine.) Just check with the paint desk to make sure you’re using the correct base for your selected colour. For instance, one brand might call a tint for dark colours “Extra Deep,” while another labels it “Extra Bright.” Knowing this ensures your final result is exactly what you want.

Tip #5 - Testing is key

Test the paint: Once you’ve picked your colour and finish, try it out on a small section of the wall before committing to the whole room. This step is crucial—make sure the colour feels right in the space. If you’re unsure, leave the sample up for a week or two to see how it looks in different lighting throughout the day. Rushing ahead and deciding you don’t like it later only means extra work and frustration.

"There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.” – Bob Ross

Above is one of my favourite painting quotes, but unlike creating art—where happy accidents can be part of the process—skipping preparation when testing paint colours can be costly in both time and money. Taking the time upfront to test properly will save you frustration and extra expense down the track.

Tip #6 - Environment friendly

Consider the environment: Whenever possible, choose eco-friendly, low-VOC paints to reduce the impact on both your health and the environment. Remember, your nose is incredibly adaptable—just because you can’t smell the fumes doesn’t mean they’re gone. Always use proper ventilation and protective gear, like a filtered face mask and safety glasses, while painting.

With these tips, you can confidently choose the right paint colours and finishes for your home—balancing style, durability, and environmental responsibility.