USING LIGHT AND DARK PAINT COLOURS IN COMBINATION
The relationship between light and dark is intrinsic to our palette. Carefully balancing complementary colours is the ethos upon which Paint & Paper Library was founded. Choosing a thoughtful combination of light and dark colours can create unexpected yet highly elegant schemes.
Our carefully considered light and dark interior colour schemes showcase an unrivalled understanding of colour balance, mood and light in contemporary interiors.
Explore images from our gallery below to explore light and dark schemes.
Strongly Contrasting: Bold Colour Contrast Rooms
Use mid-strength colours at opposite ends of the colour spectrum to create a strong, contemporary contrast of light and dark tones.
The juxtaposition of light and dark in this timeless colour combination creates gentle tension within the scheme.
In this scheme:
Central Wall: Temple
Right Wall: Blue Pearl
Left Wall & Window Sill: BTWN Dog & Wolf
Consider strongly contrasting light and dark shades to create clear zones within an open plan space. Read this guide to colour zoning.
Softly Contrasting: A Subtle Light Paint with a Dark Contrast
Here, walls painted in two muted light paint colours are used in combination to create a subtle, gentle contrast. The addition of a darker tone on the lower wall creates depth within a fairly simple space.
In this scheme:
Main Wall & Skirting: Rouge II
Left Wall & Skirting: The Botanist
Architrave Detail: Bronze
Consider neutral and light paint ideas for a muted interior scheme
Monochromatic: Single Colours for a Space that Feels Calm
Use one bold colour on walls and woodwork to evoke an essence of clarity. The effect of a monochromatic scheme surpasses that achieved by pairing graduated shades of neutral, light colour paints.
Monochromatic interior paint schemes provide a sophisticated backdrop to layer artwork and furnishings as accents and focal points.
In this scheme:
Walls: Blue Gum
Cornicing: Plaster I
Related Colour Schemes: Tonal Variations in Blues and Greens
A dark, dominant foreground provides a clear transition and notable change of atmosphere within open-plan living spaces. The Lead family of Architectural Colours provides tonal change within the scheme. Its blue undertones draw out the pigment in the bold blue, dark wall paint of Squid Ink. Tonal schemes escape the sharp contrast that bright white can often create.
In this scheme:
Back Wall: Lead V
Door, Skirting & Cornicing: Lead III
Ceiling: Lead I
Right Column: Squid Ink
Discover more ways to embrace deep, dark hues in your scheme.
Tools for selecting light and dark paint colours in combination
The Paint & Paper Library Colour Atlas simplifies the process of selecting and combining light and dark colours. For every shade in the palette, the Colour Atlas offers a selection of Architectural Colours as well as contemporary and classic coordinates.
The choice of light paint or dark paint colours in a given scheme also aligns closely with the orientation of the space. Individual paint shades and colour combinations will behave differently in north-facing, dark areas of the home when compared to rooms that are bathed in natural light.
Read our guide to considering the orientation of a space
Explore an extensive collection of contrasting room colour schemes within our Inspiration gallery. And order a complimentary colour card to explore the breadth of the Paint & Paper Library palette.