How to choose paint colours for a small apartment

Most Nairobi apartments are between 60 and 120 square metres, with windows on one or two sides and a living room that also has to be the dining room and sometimes the office. Colour can make that space feel calm and larger, or busy and smaller. Here is how we choose.

Test on the wall, not in the shop

Paint chips are viewed under shop lighting and are the size of a stamp. Buy sample pots of your two or three finalists and paint patches at least 60 by 60 centimetres on two different walls: one that gets direct light and one that does not. Look at them in the morning, at 4 pm and under your evening lights. The colour that still looks right at all three times is the one.

Three colours, not six

A small apartment takes one main wall colour, one trim and ceiling colour, and at most two accent walls in the whole flat. Our usual structure is a warm white or pale greige on most walls, a brighter white on ceilings and door frames, and one deeper colour behind the sofa or the bed. More than that and the eye never rests.

Warm whites for north and south light

Nairobi light is bright but often slightly cool, especially in the long rains. Pure brilliant white can look grey and clinical. Whites with a drop of yellow or red in them read as clean without feeling cold. Ask for a warm white and compare it against a brilliant white on the same wall; the difference is obvious once you see it side by side.

Dark colours are allowed

A deep green, navy or terracotta wall in a small room does not shrink it if it is used on one wall and the furniture in front of it is light. Dark walls behind a TV also reduce glare. The trick is preparation: dark colours show every ripple in the plaster, so the wall must be skimmed and sanded properly first.

Finishes that survive Nairobi

Dust from the road and small children both argue for washable matte emulsion on walls rather than the cheapest flat finish, which marks when wiped. Use silk or satin on door frames and skirting, and a bathroom-grade paint in wet rooms. Ask for the product name on the quote so you can look it up.

If you would like us to bring large swatches and test them in your flat, our painting service includes a colour consultation. Request a quote and mention the rooms you are thinking about.