Jennifer Sheahan: Undertones are key to perfect paint colours

This does add a layer of complexity to your decision-making, but the upside is that undertones open up a range of options for bringing in colours that are just right for the room they’re in. 

Grasping the subtleties of undertones can help you to create your desired mood in each room and harmony throughout your home. 

Here’s how to recognise and use the right undertones to make your home sing.

WHAT ARE UNDERTONES?

Let’s travel back in time to primary school days. The room smells like marla, you’ve just had a nap, and your sticky little paws are covered in paint. Your múinteoir is telling you that there are three primary colours — blue, red, and yellow — and you are conducting a messy experiment to discover that you can create every other colour by mixing two or more of these together.

This is how paint colours and dyes are created — by mixing two or more colours together with the odd splash of white to control the tone. What this means is that colours will come out slightly different depending on how much of each is mixed together. 

You’ll remember that blue and yellow mixed together make green — but adding more yellow makes a warmer yellowy green. In this case, green is the dominant colour and yellow is the undertone. Practically every colour — aside from pure blue, yellow, and red — has at least one undertone.

SPOTTING THEM

Most paint companies will have a description telling you what undertones are in each shade, but some won’t and you may still need to find undertones in your fabrics or floorings or other materials.

Some are able to spot undertones just by looking — often if you examine a colour you will start to see hints of blues or reds within it. 

However, the most accurate way to test for undertones is to compare the object with a “known” or “pure” colour. To do this, you can buy or print out a colour wheel, and hold this up against the colour you’re examining. 

For example, my kitchen is painted in Railings by Farrow & Ball. At first look, this appears to be dark grey or light black; however, it has undertones of blue which become obvious when holding up a pure blue colour against it.

THEIR IMPACT

There are three main things to consider when choosing undertones — mood, lighting, and interaction. 

Mood is important and luckily quite easy to get right — simply select warm undertones such as yellows, oranges, and pinks for a cosy, welcoming mood in your home. Cool undertones such as blues and purples will create a more tranquil, modern effect. Some neutrals have a mix of both warm and cool undertones, which will show up differently in different lighting environments. Lighting is a vital consideration when choosing undertones, as they appear different in various lighting conditions.

It’s a good idea to test your colours in your chosen room first, at various times of the day, to make sure they appear as you expect. It’s too easy to choose a neutral grey in a paint shop, only to find it shows up pink or blue on your walls! 

The most common advice is to go for balance — that is, to choose warm undertones in rooms that get cool lighting, and vice versa —however it’s really up to you. You can lean into more warmth or coolness as you prefer.

Undertones significantly influence how colours interact with each other. Complementary undertones are visually pleasing — for example, slate flooring with cool undertones pairs well with paint containing warm undertones. You can also layer different shades that have similar undertones for a rich, dramatic effect.

Always put samples together to make sure you like how they interact with each other before making a final decision. Pay attention to what undertones are showing up in fixed elements in your home, such as flooring or countertops, and make sure your chosen colours pair well with these.

• Got a question for Jennifer Sheahan? Email home@examiner.ie