How to select the right paint color for your home
We all want that perfect paint color; the one that makes our home look like it belongs on HGTV and wows our guests as they step in. There are a lot of articles that will tell you the best colors to pair together for any given style of house, but the problem is every house is different. The light (natural and not) will have such a drastic effect on how every paint color looks in each room that it’s hard to say how the paint in someone else’s house will look in your application. Here are a few tips to help you make that selection:
What’s Existing? More times than not we’re renovating or changing up an existing room. If this is the case and you’re not looking to re-do everything else in the room then think about what’s going to be staying. Furniture/ fabrics, rugs, accessories are all good things to think about. If you have that amazing leopard print accent chair that needs to stay – then you may want to think about how your paint selection is going to help or hurt it. Another item to consider in the space is casework or built-ins. If there’s cherry wood everywhere and that’s not going away, you probably won’t want a really warm-tone paint surrounding it that isn’t going to create any separation between the two. Lastly, not that this always needs to be followed, but I like to consider the exterior of the house. I think it’s really important to connect the two so as you enter a home it feels seamless. You don’t need to use the same color as your house necessarily, but if it’s something that compliments it, I’d consider that a bonus.
Find Inspiration. Inspiration is everywhere and truly we live in a day and age where it’s as easy as opening an app. If you’re unsure where to start when picking a new color, look no further than Pinterest, Houzz, or a design magazine. Seeing how someone else has put together a space may help spark an idea or mimic something that you already have, but would like to tweak.
Envision. Going hand in hand with the above point – try to envision what you want to accomplish. This isn’t going to give you a color like a magic 8 ball, but try to see how you picture you and your family using that space. Do you want to walk through your front door and have a bright and airy living space that feels like a breath of fresh air? Do you picture a super moody jewel-toned office to really get carried away in your work? Or maybe you always have wished for a bold and colorful play space for the kiddos. Really envisioning the mood that you’re trying to create is going to be helpful when you decide on a general color direction, but need to narrow down options to the exact tone.
What’s you? You don’t necessarily need one of those online quizzes to tell you “what color are you?”, rather just think about what color really brings you joy. What color are you comfortable with? Or what does your wardrobe look like? Is it your style to always have a new bright accessory or blouse? Or do you lean towards more black and neutrals? Personally, I’m not scared of color, but I’m a more toned-down classic person when it comes to my clothing. I prefer to layer in neutrals and add accents of muted colors like olive greens and navy blues. Not that it was intentional, but this translates exactly into the style and colors of my home.
Use Available Resources. There is so much out there to help us with any task needed. Hello Alexa and Google. In the paint world here are my top tips for easy resources:
-Paint color apps have evolved so much. Most can match a color that you see anywhere and almost every paint manufacturer has one. Benjamin Moore Personal Color Viewer is one that I’ve used. It’s very basic, but gives you an idea of what your space will look like while you explore a variety of color options.
-Paint decks can be a very helpful tool. You can get one of these at any home improvement store and in the back they will typically show pre-established palettes of colors that work together well. This may be good if you’re working with existing colorful items and you see some of those displayed on the card. Maybe they are showing another color that pairs well with them for you to consider for your paint selection.
-Similarly, paint manufacturers like Sherwin Williams website will help tell you what colors pair well with one that you’ve already selected one from their collections. For example, I have Accessible Beige in my kitchen and am looking for something to complement it in the living room next door and they list coordinating colors right on their page. Heyyo!
Lastly, and vital! I’d like to put a plug in for the importance of testing your paint samples. Once you’ve narrowed down a few and gone to the paint store to make a selection, please make sure you get a small container of the paint and sample it in the actual space that you’re painting. This sounds like a time consuming project (and I thrive off productivity so I completely get the pushback!), but it’s so important. I’ll tell you first hand that if you paint half the room and are still deciding if you like it, you probably don’t. If you’re anything like me then you don’t want to take more time to paint over it so you’ll paint the rest of it and still be unsure about it 2 years later. Just test it folks!
I hope this helps start your journey of color finding!
