Whether you’re renovating a new house or looking to redecorate your current home to spice things up, finding inspiration from an interior design style you love is a great starting point. Understanding what you want will also help you communicate your vision with an interior designer.

If you’re looking for the perfect paint colours that go along with your favourite interior design style, then you’ve come to the right place!

Traditional

A traditional styled home is perhaps the most recognizable of all due to its longstanding popularity. Drawing inspiration from England and France in the 18th and 19th centuries, this style is regal and quiet. Furniture in traditional homes is usually made from ornately carved dark woods, with a heavy focus on fabrics and patterns, such as florals and plaids.

Paint colours: a muted and subdued colour palette that will not distract from the furnishings.

Modern

Not to be confused with modernist style, modern homes blend various design styles and take great inspiration from Scandinavian and mid-century modern styles. Modern focuses on simplicity, minimalism and cleanliness. However, unlike minimalistic homes, you’ll often find splashes of colour as different focal points in the house. Plastic and plywood are popular materials for modern furnishings.

Paint colours: neutral again, with mainly light colours, so think whites, beiges and creams.

Transitional

The transitional design blends features of different styles to create a unique and harmonious look, with the pairing of traditional and modern being the most common. You’ll usually find a mix of straight and curved lines, with a balance of masculine and feminine attributes. Compared to traditional styles, the furniture is less ornate and has more graphic patterns of textured materials.

Paint colours: similar to traditional, mostly neutrals but with some taupes, tans, off-white and dark browns.

Tropical

If you want to feel like you’re on a beach vacation when you’re at home, then the tropical style is just for you. Envision a toned-down beach house. You’ll find lots of natural materials in the furniture, such as bamboo and wicker, as well as loud prints of floral and palm leaves.

Paint colours: create a sunny yet calming atmosphere with pastels and light, pale colours such as peaches, greens, blue tones and neutrals.

Scandinavian

Light-coloured hardwood floors are a staple for a Scandinavian home. This interior design style also tends to be simple, clean and light in colour. You may see some splashes of colour on rugs, sofas and beddings, but the most crucial focal point of all is the fireplace. It keeps the house feeling and looking cosy.

Paint colours: stick to white or grey for the walls. You can bring in pops of colour with your furnishings.

Southwestern

When you step into a southwestern home, the first thing you’ll notice is the overwhelmingly warm and Earthy tones. Leather and suede textures, as well as bold geometric patterns, can usually be found on upholstery. Terra cotta tiling is another classic Southwestern home characteristic.