Many house walls are painted in natural colours such as cream and white, which makes it easy to place or choose your paintings. If you want to play with colour, however, you can take a different approach. Instead of choosing your wall colour first, why not pick your prints and artwork, then build the room around them?
Home decor is an investment in creating the right environment for your needs. It can also be closely linked to personal taste and the things you do not want to compromise on. Alongside lighting, choosing wall colours that complement the images and shades already featured in your wall art can significantly improve the atmosphere of your home and help give it a more personal feel.
Here are five simple ways to choose the right colour for your walls by taking inspiration from the artwork you already love.
1. Use the Same Background Colour as Your Painting
Painting your wall in a similar colour to the background of your artwork can create a seamless effect. Imagine hanging a simple landscape where a vivid blue sky dominates the scene. Painting the surrounding wall in a light blue could make the artwork feel as though it continues beyond the frame.
You can also experiment with this idea in a children’s room by using patterns, illustrations or playful colours. Just make sure you choose the frame carefully so it does not interrupt the effect. Keeping the surrounding colours consistent will help everything feel more considered.
2. Use Different Shades of the Dominant Colour
Another option is to work with lighter or darker shades of the main colour in your artwork. This creates contrast while still keeping the painting as the focal point.
It can also make the room feel more layered and sophisticated without relying on the same familiar neutral shades throughout.
3. Experiment with Complementary Colours
Look beyond the most obvious colour in the artwork and pay attention to smaller details. A secondary shade near the centre of the image, for example, could provide inspiration for the surrounding walls.
You can either use that colour directly or choose a complementary shade from the colour wheel. If a painting features a dark green detail, for instance, warmer red or terracotta tones can create an effective contrast.
The aim is not necessarily to create a perfect colour match. Instead, look for shades that feel balanced and work naturally together.
4. Choose a Palette and Bring in Your Furniture
If you love black-and-white photography, from family portraits to historic city skylines, you can use your walls to introduce colour. A bold or luminous shade can create a striking backdrop while still allowing monochrome artwork to stand out.
If you are decorating a new home or refreshing a room, consider your furniture too. Pick colours from the same broader palette and see how they work together. Depending on your choices, the finished space can feel bold and eclectic or understated and elegant.
5. Keep the Background Neutral and Let the Art Stand Out
If you prefer minimalist or more traditional interiors, neutral tones such as beige, cream, white and grey remain a reliable choice. A restrained background can help draw attention directly towards the artwork.
This approach works particularly well with minimalist pieces and large-scale paintings. Because larger works already occupy a significant proportion of the wall, they often need very little additional colour around them.
If you are planning to repaint your home, start by looking at the artwork you already own or the pieces you would like to display. Use their colours as a starting point, but remember to consider your own tastes and how you want the room to feel.
In Short: Let Your Art Lead the Way
Choosing your wall art before your paint colour turns the traditional decorating process on its head, and that is precisely why it can work so well. Artwork brings personality into a room, so it makes sense to let it influence the rest of the space.
Whether you extend a painting’s background across the wall, experiment with different shades and complementary colours, or keep things neutral so the artwork takes centre stage, the key is finding harmony between the two.
Start with a piece you genuinely love, whether that is a favourite print, an original painting or an image connected to a special memory. Then use the colours within it as the foundation for the rest of your room.
