With an entire rainbow from which to choose, picking paint colors for your home can be a daunting task. Fortunately, learning how to choose an appropriate paint color for any room can be easy once you know the basic rules of color selection.
Here are 7 tips to choosing paint colors.
What are your favorite colors?
Don’t be afraid to follow your own personal style.
Find inspiration in the colors you already love. Look at creative photos you’ve taken recently and your wardrobe for colors that speak to you. Use these as a guide.
What furniture, art, rugs, or accent pieces are “must haves?”
Choose colors from one of these pieces as a starting point. For a neutral wall paint color, look to the pattern’s whites and beiges.
Keep in mind bold colors may look nice on a lamp or furniture but can be overwhelming on a large wall. Consider choosing a quieter shade in that color family or a complimentary accent color.
How big do you want the room to feel?
Think about the room size.
Do you want it to feel bigger? Then try lighter shades for a larger and brighter feel. Darker colors make the room smaller and cozy.
Keep an eye on nearby walls.
Consider the overall color scheme of your home. Colors should flow from space to space. Decide on a main color you will use throughout the home.
Use it as the wall color for your hallways, foyer, and connector to main living space. This strategy works particularly well in open-concept homes here in SW Florida.
Use a color wheel fan.
The purpose of the color wheel is to display the relationship between colors. You can find these in any paint or home improvement store.
This handy tool helps pinpoint your exact color or assists you in choosing an appropriate color palette. A word of advice – limit your palette to just three colors.
What lighting is in each room?
Be sure to try colors out in different lighting. Colors look different under different lights. Natural daylight shows the truest color.
Incandescent or LED lighting brings out warm tones and yellows. Fluorescent lighting can cast a sharp blue tone. The position of the light, furniture, décor, and wall hangings all affect how light is reflected and absorbed. Be mindful of the fact that if you’re painting and testing lighting in an empty room, the room will feel different once you add furniture.
What is the purpose of the room?
Consider the room’s function and mood. Want an energized room? Use warm reds and yellows. Browns and grays are generally suited for a more relaxed feel. Gray’s chameleon-like quality allows the color to appear either warm or cool.
Also, consider flat vs sheen. Flat gives a subtle cozy feel, while high sheen reflects light and brightens a room.
Try samples out.
Preferably, try various colors out directly on the wall. If you’d prefer not to paint your wall with colorful squares, try sample paint on a poster board or primed piece of drywall. Move it around the room to see its effect and how it looks. This is really the only way to know if the color is appropriate.
If you need help designing your home, choosing colors, or with your next renovation project, we’ve got you covered. We have been helping SW Florida homeowners for more than 35 years design, build and renovate their homes. How can we help you? Contact us, 239.694.8889.
