Selecting the right colour to suit your space.

Most of the time, interior designers will tell you to paint your walls in neutrals or other muted colours that relax the eye. And you should, for the most part, stick to that rule. Neutrals keep the mind relaxed as well as the eyes and lead to a more comfortable living or working environment.

That being said, bright and neon colours do have their place on your walls if you use them correctly. You have to use them in the right context and in the right amount. You cannot make entire rooms or entire walls neon colours in most cases. However, if you use the guide below, you can use these bright, vibrant colours in such a way that they add to your building’s aesthetics rather than detract.

1. Paint Half Neutral and Half Bright

You’ve probably seen those paint jobs where home or business owners split the wall horizontally and paint the bottom half a darker colour and leave the top white or neutral. You can use neon and bright paints the same way. However, keep in mind that the bright colour must go on the bottom.

If the bright paint colour goes on the top, then the neon is at eye level, and the room will seem overwhelmingly colourful, not to mention visually smaller. The white or neutral colour has to be the one that sits at eye level, so make sure it goes on the top.

2. Use a Bright Colour With a More Muted Version of the Same Colour

Maybe you want to give your child’s room or your restaurant’s dining area a bright, vibrant feel, and you don’t want to use white or other light neutrals in the decor. In some cases, you can combine a neon like lime green with a pastel green to create a relaxing balance. Of course, the pastel colour must be the one that either dominates the walls or sits at eye level, otherwise viewers will feel overwhelmed.

3. Use the Neon as a Design Accent on the Walls

Paint gentle curling shapes in your favourite neon colour, or paint diamonds and chevrons in that colour as well. These designs should not cover the entire wall-instead, they should only create loose frames around art, furniture and other features. The neon or bright paint colour should never cover more than 30% of the wall’s space.

4. Paint the Neon or Bright Colours on Small Surfaces, Such as Narrow Walls

Think of narrow walls between windows or on the sides of built-in closets. Think of backsplashes in the bathroom as well. If you want to add a splash of bright colour to your interior decor, these narrow spaces give you an easy and attractive way to accomplish that goal.

5. Use the Bright Paint as Accents on Built-In Shelves

If your rooms have built-in features like shelves, hearths or even stairs, you can add neon paint to these features. With bigger features, like a fireplace or flight of stairs, choose a lighter neon colour rather than a dark one so the feature doesn’t look overpowering.

6. Put the Neon on Doors and Cabinets

Doors give you the perfect canvas to add neon colours to, especially if you want to paint the bright paint in designs. You can add this paint to your front door or to your interior doors. Or, if you want a smaller canvas, add the colour to cabinets. However, if the cabinets dominate the visual space, like a long line of cabinets in the kitchen, do not paint them neon. Keep them neutral.

Neon and bright paints can have a place in your home or place of business. Call your preferred professional painters to implement these changes today.