Color Me Happy: How To Choose Interior Paint Colors
Thursday, September 04, 2014
Paint is one of the easiest ways to set the tone (pun intended) of a room, but for most of us picking out a paint color gives us heart burn. With good reason: we just don’t want to pick the wrong color and end up stuck with it for an eternity.
Take a holistic approach
A common complaint that interior designers hear is: "We started by painting the room [a color] and now can't figure out what to do about everything else."
This approach is a little bit like putting the cart before the horse. While you may have an idea of the color you want to use in your room, pick the actual color later.
My tip is start with the items for which there are fewer options - fabrics, furniture, art, etc. - and work your way to the items for which there are numerous options. Considering there are millions of paint colors, that should be pretty much the final decision.
This doesn't mean you'll ignore paint early on, but select the items that will really define the style of the room and then use color to tie it all together.
Figure out your personal preferences
Researching your personal preferences is crucial to this process. Use design magazines or design-related websites to find rooms with wall colors you like.
Keep in mind when looking at colors online, you are most likely not seeing them accurately. Use descriptive terms when taking notes like "buttery yellow" or "grayish blue" or "deep red." This means way more than a color name - I mean, what color is "Stolen Moments" anyway?
Think about the tone, too. Do you like darker or lighter walls?
Decide on the role you want your walls to play in the story
With all the design elements selected, now is the time to figure out what impact you want the walls to have in your overall design story.
Look closely at the colors that make up the fabrics, the smallest details in the artwork, the patterns in the fabric. Are there any colors in these items that speak to you? Think about the feeling you want in the room - bright, cheery, comfortable, formal, casual, etc.
In the sunroom pictured above, the homeowner was attracted to a small bright green detail in the chair fabric in the chairs on the right side of the picture. She wanted the room to be bright, cheerful and a reflection of the bright green colors right outside the window.
In the room below, paint color plays a very different role, almost a supporting role to the artwork in the room.
Using lighting and the darker background color, the art really takes center stage. And, the colors in both the bedroom and bathroom coordinate in an easy and comfortable way. Never be afraid to use a darker color on your walls, especially if you can use light (natural or artificial) to help balance out the walls.
Samples, samples, samples
Now that we're at least at the point of getting some colors on the walls, it's time to really get serious about the final selection.
You've probably narrowed down the choices to three or four options; now it's time to get some test quarts and paint samples on the walls.
Put up blocks of paint at 24 inches by 24 inches in multiple areas of the room and look at them throughout the day to really get a feel for how different light influence the colors. Some colors feel completely different in the shade or sunlight. Others are greatly influenced by the outside environment (specifically green trees adding a "green-ness" to the paint color).
Take the plunge
Now comes the scary part. But, if you've been deliberate in your research, then this last step should just be a formality.
And remember, it's just paint.
Two last pieces of advice:
1) Do not skimp on paint quality. If you're painting a medium-sized room, you might only use two gallons of paint. Spring for the more expensive paint that is a higher quality. You're only talking about an additional expense of $10 to $30. Not much for a much better product.
2) Don't substitute one brand for another because it's what the painter uses.
If you've selected a Sherwin-Williams paint (based on the paint hips and samples you used in your decision process), then require the same brand is used on your walls. Each manufacture has different chemistry behind their paint formulations. While "color matching" is likely going to result in an acceptable look, it's not guaranteed.
Now, go put some color on your walls!
Jason Ball
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