21 Apr Choosing Paint Colours In Ottawa
Why Paint Colours Matter In Ottawa’s Dynamic Environment
Paint colours matter everywhere—but in Ottawa, one of Canada’s most sprawling cities, they matter in different ways. When you’re moving into a brand-new neighbourhood being built in Kanata, you’ll want to match the style and colours of your neighbours. That philosophy is even more important when you’re moving into a heritage conservation district.
In this article, we’ll explore how to choose the paint colours that are right for your home—all while staying consistent with the colours that we see in neighbourhoods throughout Ottawa. Let’s get started!
Understanding Ottawa’s Natural Light Patterns
Light has a dramatic impact on how paint looks—and the way natural light changes over the course of a day can transform the appearance of a room. In Ottawa (and the rest of North America), here’s how light pours into a room:
- South-facing rooms get the most natural light—light is warm and strong.
- North-facing rooms get consistent light, but the light is much cooler.
- East-facing rooms get direct light in the morning, and cool, muted light in the afternoon.
- West-facing rooms get muted light in the morning, and warm, direct light in the afternoon—the light can have an amber tone.
This affects the tones we recommend for paint in each room. Even white and grey paints can have warm and cool tones—and those tones will balance out the light that comes into your room. Here are a few recommendations to get you started:
- South-facing rooms are perfect for neutrals with hints of grey and blue to balance the amber-coloured light.
- North-facing rooms, by contrast, work best with neutrals with warm undertones like yellow.
- Warm tones tend to be best for east-facing rooms, while cool tones work well in west-facing rooms.
The amount and quality of the sunlight that will come through your windows varies from home to home; it’s best to test paint samples throughout the day to determine how your room might look in different lighting.
Another important note: Neutrals tend to be the most affected by natural light, which brings out their underlying tones. While moody, cool-toned blues and greens may work best in south-facing rooms, and warm, sunny yellows and oranges may work really well in north-facing rooms, you can switch it up—your own tastes should prevail.
Seasonal Light Changes
Finding the right paint colour can be trickier in Ottawa than in most places on Earth—the change in seasons has a pretty drastic effect on lighting.
In the summer, natural light dominates, and you’ll be living and working in sunlight from 5 in the morning until 9 at night. In the winter, artificial lighting rules the day. Fortunately, we live in the world of smart bulbs, and you can actually adjust the lighting in each room to reflect the qualities of natural light that you’d expect if the sun was out. This isn’t a perfect system, but it will help your paint look its best all year round.
Popular Colour Trends In Ottawa Neighbourhoods
Modern Suburban Preferences
In the suburban landscape, greys remain popular—as a wall colour, an interior paint colour, an exterior paint colour, or for just about anything else. Modern trends for interior paint include the use of soft greens, cinnamon browns, and vibrant blues and violets—all tempered by neutrals like white paint on all the trim.
Heritage Area Colour Guidelines
Guidelines for paint colours vary depending on the heritage character area you live in. The Sandy Hill Cultural Heritage Area, for example, features homes that typically have two to three paint colours highlighting details in their decoration. These colours were often fairly bold by today’s standards—cream, gold, olive green, pale green, and ochre red were all common, along with perennial classics like grey and white.
Whenever possible, the paint colour of the original building should be preserved, and if the original colour scheme is intact, it should be retained. No matter which heritage neighbourhood you’re in, we can help you find the right colour scheme, and then paint your home’s exterior to match.
Factors To Consider When Choosing Paint Colours
Architectural Style
Architectural features play an important role in the paint colours you choose. On heritage buildings, these features were highlighted with different paint colours; in modern buildings, columns, trim, and other features can still be highlighted by choosing a paint colour that contrasts with the other colours utilized.
Existing Elements
When you have a red brick fireplace, you should choose colours that complement it—not other red brick colours that drown it out. Choose paint colours that complement the existing elements of a room and match your personal style; it’s often better to choose furniture, rugs, and more before choosing your paint colour.
Neighbourhood Context
Be a good neighbour; choose colours on your home’s exterior that match the neighbourhood. There’s plenty of room for your favourite colours in your home’s interior; paint your accent wall bright purple, not your heritage home’s exterior.
Making Your Final Colour Selection
When it comes time to make your final colour selection, you won’t even need to go to the paint store (unless you want to get colour samples)—you can just call the pros at Pinnacle Painting. We’ll help you pick your colours and then paint your home inside and out.