You've picked your favorite on-trend wallpaper that you've had your eye on for months and can imagine it up on the walls in your chosen space – but paint is also needed – how on earth do you choose the right shade?
We've all been there, do you go for the background color in the wallpaper? Or one of the other multiple shades within the pattern? Or maybe a shade that's not even in the design that matches tonally instead?
We've asked interior designers and paint experts for their top tips on this potentially tricky issue of how to choose a paint idea to work with your wallpaper.
1. Start with swatches
The best place to start is to order some paint samples that you feel might work. 'If you are creating a decorating scheme which combines wallpaper with paint, start by laying out samples of your chosen wallpaper and swatches of your potential paint colors,' advises Helen Shaw, head of marketing at Benjamin Moore.
For a spot-on match paint a few of the colors onto some sheets and when dry look at them against the wallpaper in good natural daylight to see how they work together. Helen adds, 'Whether you are creating a concise palette or a maximalist design, this methodology will ensure that the final design feels thoughtful.'
2. Pull a color that enhances the space
When your wallpaper has multiple colors within the design then your world is really your oyster when it comes to choosing the paint shade. Do remember that what you choose can dramatically change the overall look of your space.
Everick Brown, founder of Everick Brown Design explains how they picked the color in this dining room.
'For this Westchester, New York dining room, we wanted to create a space that felt soothing, warm, and inviting. We chose a romantic but fresh wallpaper from Graham & Brown and then pulled one of the secondary colors in the paper – a soft lavender – to inform our color choice for the wainscoting, which helped further set a soothing vibe throughout.'
There were other colors that Everick could have chosen, he adds, 'Had we turned to the dominant greens throughout the wallpaper to select our paint color, the room would have felt totally different.'
3. Or go bold and contrast
If a printed wallpaper isn't your thing, but you want texture then consider an anaglypta style design that means you can paint it any color you wish. Then, the decision is whether to paint woodwork the same color or to match, or to be bold and contrast.
'Choosing the perfect paint to complement your wallpaper is all about balance,' says Dominic Myland, CEO of Mylands. 'For a more striking design choice, opt for a contrasting but complementary color that isn’t found within the palette of the wallpaper.'
4. Consider your paint finishes
It might be that your wallpaper is actually on the ceiling, not the walls. The same principles apply if you want to color match, Theresa Butler, founder, of Theresa Butler Interiors says, 'Start by deciding whether you want a paint color that matches, complements, or contrasts with the wallpaper.' In this case, the wallpaper on the ceiling is shades of gray, so you can pick from a few tones.
It's also worth considering the finish you're after. Theresa continues, 'Next, consider the type of wallpaper – is it vinyl, paper, matte, or shiny? The paint finish is essential, as it affects how the paint interacts with the wallpaper’s texture or shine, so keep that in mind when thinking about the overall look you’re going for.'
5. Choose from the same company
Perhaps one of the easiest ways to ensure you get a cohesive feel between your paint and wallpaper, is to buy them both from the same company.
For example, Farrow & Ball's wallpaper is produced with their paint. You can choose wallpaper and paint that match beautifully as the majority of their colors come straight from the color palette. Genius right? As a result, Patrick O'Donnell, brand ambassador at Farrow & Ball advises, 'When matching paints to our paper look at all of the print colors, from the ground to the pattern itself, to pick out in your walls and woodwork.'
It's certainly a great option if you want peace of mind that you've matched perfectly, Patrick adds, 'Unlike digitally printed wallpapers that use ink, printing paint on paper creates a beautifully tactile finish and means each roll is utterly unique. Using real Farrow & Ball paint ensures every design has the signature depth of color we’re known for and can be effortlessly paired with shades from our palette.'
6. Pick between matching the background color or the print
It's not always about matching your paint to your wallpaper, as Laura Tribbett, principal and founder of Outline Interiors by Laura Tribbett shares, 'When choosing a paint to coordinate with a wallpaper, we need to decide our point of view first. Are we choosing a wall color to match the ground of the paper? Are we choosing a color to match part of the pattern?
This is a good point to make, it might be that you adore an existing paint color and want to match it to a wallpaper. Laura adds, 'Once we have that design direction, I like to rely on my trusted vendors. I'm old school and like to bring all of my samples to the showroom and work with my paint rep to help color match as precisely as possible.'
7. Let the wallpaper stand out
Contrary to popular belief, a small-scale wallpaper can be the focal point – we usually think big scale mean stand out – it all depends on the paint color you pick to use with it.
Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene explains, 'If you want your wallpaper to be the main focus of your scheme, select complementary neutrals that harmonize beautifully with the colors in the design. Many people opt for bright white woodwork and ceilings out of habit, but coordinating neutrals can produce a softer finish that is both elegant and easy on the eye.'
If you look closely you can see that the inner color painted within the shelving here matches the background of the wallpaper perfectly, a perfect coordinating neutral as mentioned by Ruth.
8. Consider the darkest color
The paint you choose to match your wallpaper is also dependent on what kind of look you're after. In this dramatic bathroom, the background color of the wallpaper design has been used (trialing wallpaper in bathrooms with paint is a great idea). It may look black, but it's actually a very deep dark green called Market Green by Mylands, but it works perfectly with this wallpaper base.
If for example, you wanted a lighter feel then opting for one of the leafy greens or the orange of the fruit would brighten it up and give it a completely different look.
9. Opt for a custom color
This is definitely a great way to choose a paint color that matches a specific shade in the wallpaper that you adore.
Francesca Wezel, founder of Francesca's Paints explains how her global color matching service works, 'I offer a color matching service to create colors to match wallpaper. The process is simple: I need to have a physical sample of the wallpaper, and then I create a formula to match it, which is then mixed by hand. The result is a perfect bespoke shade, and it can be produced in any of our paint finishes.'
And if you decide to use that same wallpaper in another room? 'We also retain the formula in our studio so that it can be recreated for the client if it’s needed at a later date,' adds Francesca.
How you pick a paint to match your wallpaper depends on several factors – whether you want it to complement or contrast the design, and what kind of look you are after. Once you've decided on these elements you can set about choosing the paint colour.
