Your ultimate guide: Choosing the right paint color, and on the first try!
I'm divulging my ultimate professional color consulting tips to help you choose the best paint color for your space-it's the three big "what to do" and "what not to do" when choosing paint colors for your home.
I find that many of my clients have become paralyzed with uncertainty when it comes to choosing color for their homes. Trust me, I get it! When we were kids we had an entire box of crayons to choose from, and sticking our hands in that Crayola box was simple and fun. Now that you're an adult and have money behind the decision, you quickly realize that it isn't as easy as choosing that royal blue you love so much. It seems like it should be a quick and painless task, picking a color. But in reality, to most it is daunting and frustrating. Do any of these thoughts run through your mind when trying to choose a paint color?
"Paint color??? Where do I start?"
"There are so many colors to choose from, how can I narrow this down?"
"I saw this blue kitchen on Pinterest and I just have to have that blue in my house!"
"I'll just run to the paint store and grab a bunch of swatches and bring them home and decide"
"Maybe if I buy a few sample quarts I can paint a few spaces on the wall and see which one to go with"
"Well, that one looks good! Give me one gallon of Balanced Beige!" And then you find yourself back at the hardware store the next day hoping that they will let you return balanced beige to the oops paint section because it wasn't so "balanced" afterall!
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? If so, let me help you with these tips!
Choosing the right color for your space
There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a paint color. What is the lighting like in your room? Is it natural light? Is the room small or large? How do you want to feel when you are in the space? The list goes on! These are my tried and true steps to choosing the best (and correct) paint color for your next home renovation!
What is already in the existing space?
One of the main reasons people want to paint is because they want to change the way it looks. But in order to choose a paint color that will look good, you really need to consider what's already in the room. If all of the furniture, light fixtures and décor items are going to stay the same, then you need to take that into consideration. Picking a paint color that compliments the space using the undertones in the furnishings and fixtures is a must!
If you are planning to do a complete overhaul and redecorate the entire room, then paint LAST! Make a decision on the most expensive items first, such as furniture, and then decide which color works with what fits in the space and what is comfortable to sit on. It is much easier to change a paint color, rather than moving and returning an expensive couch.
Painting different swatches on the wall will never show you the true color
Most people think that painting a few different colors on the wall in your room will give you the best depiction of how it will look when you paint the entire thing. This is far from true! When you paint a color over another color and look at it when it dries, the new paint color sitting on top of the old paint color will never show it's true color until the entire room is painted that color. Why? Because when you put two paint colors on top of one another, it pulls different undertones out of each paint color, not giving you a true idea of what it will look like on your walls. It presents a skewed version of what it will actually look like.
The BEST way to get an actual representation of what a color will truly look like is to put it against a white backdrop. You can use a poster board from your local office supplies store. This is one of my tried and true methods! It allows the eye to see the true color and doesn't play tricks on you! Your eye doesn't catch the undertones of any other colors and you can see the true color!
Check different areas of the room at different times of day/night
Use the process above to check how the color will look on each wall. Lay it next to the flooring, furniture and window treatments. You will see if the color truly compliments the furnishings and fixtures in your space, or if it will interfere with creating a cohesive design scheme.
Let's recap!
Determine if everything in the room is staying or not. If it is, you are ready to choose your paint color. If it isn't, get to shopping...then choose the paint color last!
Find out how to determine exactly what the color will look like in your space. Download my free printable "How to get an actual representation of what a paint color will look like in your space" and do it! I promise this method works and it's worth the extra work!
Using the tools in the guide above, check different walls throughout the day/evening. The variation in the light that is being filtered through the room will allow you to decide if it's too much for you or not enough.
There are many other tools I use to choose the perfect paint color for a space in addition to the ones above. But these will be sure to help you narrow it down to one you will not only like, but will also look amazing. If your not interested in doing it yourself and want help, contact me here and we can set up a color consultation. I'll take you through all of the steps above, bring the necessary tools and you won't even have to step foot into a paint store.
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