My aunt just asked me the same thing. I would suggest a warm cream,or almost "baked apple pie" color? Very neutral but warm. Here in the states? We have several types of paint. If it is available, and you're budgeting? I'd recommend "eggshell" which here, means a type of paint better than "flat" because you can wash it if careful, but it's also less costly than "semi-gloss" and requires fewer coats to achieve even saturation. So eggshell is the type suggested, color suggested is anywhere between cream to medium warm brown. A lightly baked apple pie is the best visual I can think of? I truly hope this helps? My aunt loved her result!

tarotlover - I am in Sydney and we get that heat too although your's seems to go for days, even weeks at a time. I have just painted my whole house as part of a total renovation so have had a bit to do with paints of late. The most recommended paint is low sheen, just off flat but it means you can wash it. Flat paint, it seems shows where you have washed if you try to remove scuff marks.

For some reason, I have difficulty using creams/beiges in my home, they just go very dead so be a little cautious with them. I don't know whether it is our light or what. I chose a yellow/green/blue colour scheme for my home, varying rooms to put emphasis on different colours but the most important aspect was keeping a cool look in the house. Blues are best for this and I used Dulux Antartica Lake half strength and the visual difference it made to a very hot room was amazing. I also used Cowardly Custard half strength in the hallways, family room, kitchen and a bedroom and this is really nice too, it is cheery but not hot. I kept all the ceilings and woodwork sparkling white, and have white or pale curtains which enhance the fresh look even more. If you have to keep to one colour right through the house, then I can appreciate blue may not be easy, but check out the yellow. The green I used was a Taubmans colour called Birkit. It seems to have a brown tinge to it but it still looks very fresh.

Whatever colour you choose try to keep to a clean true colour with lots of white it does bring the temperature down in the house.

I was told that when using white, add one drop of black paint to the tin, it makes it sharper and helps keep it whiter.

Have you considered painting the house yourself and asking the builder to deduct the cost of painting or just have him paint the ceilings and you do the walls. Depending on the size of your house, you could save yourself maybe ten thousand dollars and it would give you a lot more choice.

Maybe this idea book will give you some tips. Roo is giving me geography lessons, so I know your South light is my North light, and I wouldn't dare pick an actual color for your home. I can say that my daughter deliberately chose to paint her interior one color and it has worked out well. She put her colors in fabrics. It is very soothing.
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/how-to-pick-the-right-white-paint-stsetivw-vs~416809

Thank you, all of your comments are appreciated and have given me food for thought. I have just been going through the working with Gray's section in Houzz quite like that too!

I would go with white or off-white. As you start moving furniture and decor into the different rooms you may want to change the color to suit. Every wall in our house was painted beige and yuk! I am slowly changing that, but off-white would be easier to change to a new color.

Right now we have two lazy boys and a 3 sweater couch in a light coffee color, which we are thinking of putting in the theatre room and a teak color wood dining setting which will be on front of the kitchen same color desk wine rack and coffee table. But now we will have a family room so we thought we might buy something more modern as its very open plan. It is a pity we can't live in it first as I know how colors change in the light, the last house we had in South Australia we painted a pale warm yellow as it was always cold there and it was great, now I have gone the complete opposite to a boiling hot climate!

Leaning towards a white loved the whites that Judith posted!

taratlova, no one has called me Judith since my eighth grade nun in 1957. I forgot how good it sounds. :>) P S I am only 38!

Oh Judy, is that your nose that just went by my desk.

Cute, roo…xxxooo

taratlove - I found this photo on here and fell absolutely in love with it for my bedroom. Luckily I bought two sample pots and tried them first - I might as well have painted the wall with mud!!! I was so disappointed. I guess I should have known better though when one of the colours I chose was called Puddle.

Have you seen the Dulux White Inspirations brochure, it has some really nice shades in it. Too white white on walls can become glary.

[houzz=]

Judy, I like you, Bobbi would have threatened to hit me.

@tarotlova
when you consider interior decoration, you may also want some nice curtains. Hope these curtain designs will give you some inspirations. Cheery Curtains offers a wide range of quality curtains at affordable prices. Mouse over the image for a better view.

For more curtain designs, welcome to our website or just contact me directly at nophie@cheerycurtains.com :)


Nophie
Cheery Curtains
Website: www.cheerycurtains.com
Email: nophie@cheerycurtains.com