“Everywhere in Australia, the ideal aspect tends to be north or northeast – the very best, according to McGrath, is precisely 10 degrees east of due north – to let there be light.”

Artificial light influences colours and if you notice something amiss about the colour of the paint in a room at night don’t repaint. Change the light bulb.

Incandescent Light Bulbs – produce a warm, yellow-amber light, causing reds, oranges and yellows to become more vivid. Simultaneously blues and greens will be muted.

Fluorescents Light: – enriches blues and greens.

Halogens: Perhaps the best choice of all lights. These mostly resemble natural light.

LEDs: – though LEDs don’t produce the same rendering effect compared to other lights, they are long-life energy-efficient lights. Some LED bulbs are colour adjustable.

Test Colours First

• Get paint samples from your local paint supplier or hardware store.

• NB: ALWAYS test the paint colour on the WALLS first. 

• Paint a patch of undercoat 30cm x 30cm in more than one spot of the room.

• Paint the colour of your choice over the undercoat. Leave to dry. Paint another layer – this will ensure you get the proper saturation.

• Leave the areas to dry well.

• Live with the colours for two days or so before deciding – bearing in mind natural light influences the way you see colour.

Initially, this may seem an unnecessary step, but you will be glad you did. This small step will save you time, money and repainting.