Choose Perfect Paint Colors for Your Home in Five Easy Steps (Paint colors used in this photo are Benjamin Moore 1670 Labrador Blue, HC-92 Wheeling Natural, and OC-6 Feather Down) Beautiful paint colors can have a dramatic effect on your space. But choosing a color scheme can prove to be so daunting to some it throws otherwise calm and collective people into a cold sweat. Worse yet, the choice of color paralyzes many home owners into no decision at all. Here are five steps we have found to help make that process much easier. 1. Pay Attention to the Unchangeables. Look around your room. What are the colors of the flooring, the windows, brick on a fireplace, countertops, appliances? Have you already furnished your space with furniture you plan on keeping? If you are not planning on replacing these items any time soon, they need to be considered. These unchangeable items need to become part of the
decorating inventory so they look as though you have planned for them from the beginning. Do you have tile, carpet, or hardwood floors? The color of the flooring is also an important consideration when you choose colors because it anchors the room and can impact the color on the wall due to reflections. 2. Find Your Inspiration You already know what you love; you just need to rediscover it. Take a stroll around your home and find what gives you joy. Is it an oil painting on the wall? A favorite quilt or blanket? An article of clothing? Most likely you have already purchased items you love. Now look at them in a different light. What if you could surround yourself with these same colors that caused you to buy the item in the first place? If you still come up short, visit your local fabric store. Somewhere in the vast isles of color are fabrics with colors already put together that will make you say wow. The work of a designer has already been done for you. And if it works on the fabric, it will most likely look great in your home. Make sure you purchase a piece of the fabric. This can be framed in the future or used in an accent piece. Once you decide on an inspiration piece, take into consideration your object s common denominators in terms of color. Do you like a
variety of colors or particular shades and tints of a specific color? Do you like them bold or muted? Now choose three or four colors from your inspiration piece. These will be the primary colors for the room you are decorating. 3. Take Your Inspiration Shopping. If your article is portable, take it with you to the store you are planning on purchasing your paint from. If that isn t possible, photograph your item, making sure the lighting in the room gives you the most accurate representation of the colors you are identifying. While at the store, choose the paint strips that contain the colors you have chosen. Keep these with you when you shop for accent pieces, curtains, rugs, or any other items you will purchase to complete your project. 4. Use A Personal Color Viewer: Use an online interactive color visualization tool provided by most of the major paint companies that will allow you to see how your colors will look in a room. You can even upload your own photos to see how these colors will look in your own space.
Some links for this are To create a sense of continuity and harmony throughout your home, you need good color flow: a balanced color scheme that seamlessly connects one space to the next. Once you find colors that work, apply these principles of color to create a flow to other rooms in your home. 5. Take the Plunge! Choose a medium version of one or two of your favorite color swatches to use for your wall colors. These will be the predominant colors in your room. Purchase quarts of paint in these colors and paint large poster boards and view them in your room to make sure they look the way you want. A dark neutral, such as charcoal gray, espresso, or black will be needed to anchor your colors. Use the dark neutral color in a rug, floor material, or even cabinet color. If you have woodwork or furniture with a dark neutral, (remember the unchangeables!) repeat this color in other areas of the room. The third color should be bright, and used as the accent color for pillows, towels, throw rugs, and accent pieces throughout your room. You do not need to purchase paint in this color, since you will primarily use it for accent pieces. The exciting thing about this method is you can change your accent color for holidays or seasons without having to repaint your home! Last, use the lightest color on your primary paint swatch for your trim color and ceiling. Even though it will look white, the hint of color will bring your room together and give it that extra pop you need to make it look professional.
Paint color can have a dramatic effect on your space, and it is the least expensive way to update your home. Color can change our perception of the space around us, turning it cool and energetic, spacious or cozy. Your friends and family will wonder how you did it. And most of all, you will be surrounded by the colors you love. --June Rairick is owner/operator of Espresso Finishes, specializing in custom cabinet refinishing. For more information, email your inquiries to info@espressofinishes.com