Emulsion paint colours guidance, please

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Ih live in a nice house - good furnishings, curtains etc but the place is completely let down by the walls which are runs away magnolia - every room It makes the place look like the 'before' shots on 60 minute makeover.

Money is very tight and my decorating skills are limited so am thinking of getting some matt emulsion and painting the walls, but with no interior design knowhow I'm clueless on what colours to choose. Have real wood floors and a tendency towards warm brown and red for furnishings etc if that helps.

Well what colours do you like? Do you like muted shades or bright/clean? It sounds like your fixed features are all warm colours, so cool colours would complement them and look stylish, but in any rooms that are north/east facing or have poor light, you might want to go with warm pale neutrals. I would pick a couple of colours you like that complement each other, say blue and green, and use tints and shades therein. Reusing accent colours, fabrics and shapes/motifs between rooms will tie them all together.

Pick one very nearly white to use on all the woodwork. If budget is an issue, make sure it is an off the shelf colour that comes in large sizes.

Tremolo thanks so much for replying.

When I look in magazines I like classy looking, slightly distressed interiors rather than fun or blingy looking.

My house has lots of windows but very poor light in the main rooms.

You suggest warm, pale neutrals but wouldn't I just end up with something similar to my current magnolia look.

More guidance, please.

I've had most success choosing a fabric, picture or cushion I like and then picking out colours from that to use in other furnishings and on the walls.

Also look for good colours in friends houses and find out what paint they used.

Go to b and q and get lots of paint charts - then match a colour to your fabric back ground - then - pick one shade lighter -

Little Greene does lovely off-White neutrals that although pale, still end up looking like faint colours rather than magnolia/cream. Use their colour chart for inspiration and then search for cheaper alternatives?

Having said that, I haven't had much luck finding anything cheaper that matches up, although the Crown Breatheasy range is nice, and often on offer. (Seldom Seen is a lovely very pale bluey grey.)

Dulux do a nice pale beigey/taupe that looks very Little Greene/F&B, called Egyptian Cotton.

The Wilko own brand paint colours are v hit and miss, although I thought their bathroom emulsion was quite good.

Sorry to hijack but Tremolo, was it you I was discussing Quickstep laminates with?! My husband's now fitted the Reclaimed Chestnut Eligna and the Slate Grey Impressive, and they both look great!

I am trying to picture a slightly classy/distressed interior but coming up a bit short. Maybe post a pic of the type of thing.

Magnolia is a kind of pinky colour which isn't very nice. A warm off white would be something like Dulux Timeless or Jasmine White, Valspar Welcoming White, Little Greene Slaked Lime or Linen Wash or Farrow and Ball Wimborne White or White Tie. I wouldn't recommend F&B but you could get it colour matched.

Another option is a light grey with a good yellow or orange undertone. Examples: Dulux Dusted Moss 2/3, Gooseberry Fool 5/6, Salisbury Stones etc, Crown Sail White, Valspar Navy Bean or Moon Shoot or Little Greene French Grey.

I would put some colours in somewhere. A complex soft blue/gray or a silvery pale green works well balanced with a creamy white. A deep inky blue works well with a warm light grey. Examples: in my house I have Little Greene Salix with Dulux Timeless, and am planning Valspar Welcoming White and Bleu Clair in the dining room with WW and Chain Link in the sitting room (semi-open plan).

If you have a lot of red as accent colours Little Greene Portland Stone and colours like that might work well for you. Also I think the Dulux Gooseberry Fools would work well. Little Greene do a 'greys' colour card and the ones with a greenish undertone might work for you.

You can only really tell by trying out samples on different walls in the rooms and seeing how they work with the light you have.

Laquila Yes, I think it was! Glad you are pleased with your new floors. I am still agonising, in fact I am poring over the quickstep brochure now and looking at pics of real installations to decide whether I want it or not. I am going to get the Livyn for my kitchen 'tart-up job' I think, which is now nearly there so the godawful vinyl just looks worse than ever!

How does the Eligna look compared to wood on a large area? DOes the textured surface/ joins look realistic or is it quite flat?

Ooh Tremolo your painting plans sound gorgeous. OP, Little Greene Welcome (Deep) is a lovely grey with a hint of lilac, and their Pearl Colour is a great chalky pale blue-grey.

Tremolo - I'll take a photo once we've moved in (tomorrow!!) and the floor isn't covered with a variety of power tools/toddler death-traps...

I can't say it doesn't look pretty flat, but it looks more realistic than that sounds, if you know what I mean! The beveled groove/joins really do make a difference, I reckon.

We have Dulux Timeless which is a nice neutral background. It's nothing like magnolia. That will go really well with wood floors/ browns and reds. B&Q have 2x 2.5l for of Timeless for £35. Valspar Welcoming White is £39 for 5l so there's not much difference in the price.

Going to look at Tremolo's colour combinations now.

Ooh. Please do post a pic.

Well, all I can say is I looked at the low end wood flooring and the high end laminate and by looks alone I couldn't distinguish them. But I do wonder about a large area. Part of the issue is that the prep/labour etc costs the same, so why don't I just stretch the budget a bit further... the problem is I am doing that for everything and I have a whole house to do. Sadly I cannot contemplate laying the flooring in the main living space myself with a hyperactive toddler and a breastfed newborn and DH is a cerebral type who doesn't really do DIY

Good luck with the move by them way Laquila. What a good idea to do the work beofre moving in

Ahhh Tremolo but was it a good idea for us to schedule the house move, following 4 bloody months of work, whilst I am 38 weeks preggers?!...I'm starting to think not...I'm soooo tired!

Thanks so much for the guidance and inspiration