Helpful Articles

Choosing The Perfect Paint Color

When it comes to decorating, choosing the perfect paint color can be a challenge. You may find that there are so many choices you don’t know where to start.

Be Patient. Remember the paint sets the tone for the whole room and comes in a wide array of colors. Collect paint chips but don’t make any final decisions until you have developed a scheme for the room. Get ideas but wait to finalize your paint color until you have chosen the rugs, wallpaper and fabrics.

Study your paint strips, even if you are not considering using a darker tone, look at all the colors carefully. You will find underlying tones of color in each color strip. Even off-whites and beiges have underlying tones and can be the most difficult colors to choose.

Colors are often referred to as “warm” or “cool”. Orange, Red and Pink are often thought to be “warm” colors and Blue, Green and Violets are considered to be “cool” colors. So if you are looking for a warm cozy color, choose a color with underlying tones of orange, red or pink. But if cool fits your scheme look for the paint chips that cast a blue, green or violet hue.

The best way to get a true view of a paint color is to look at it in many lights. Try taking the paint chips outside to see it in natural light. Then look at them under incandescent and fluorescent lights. Better yet, take the paint chip, into the room you wish to paint.

When you have narrowed your choices down, do a test patch in the room to be painted. Get a sample quart from your local paint store and apply it to the wall that gets the most light in the room, usually the wall opposite the windows, and the darkest wall in the room, which is usually the window wall. You may also want to apply a sample to a dark corner.

To apply samples you should always start out with a white surface, because all other colors will cast their own tone on your sample. You can roll on a coat of white primer if you have colored walls. Paint small squares on your wall with your color choices. Let your samples dry, wet paint looks different than dry paint.

Live with them for a few days, looking at them during the morning, evening, and night, this will allow you to see what the color will look like in different lights. See how each one looks with your fabric choices, flooring, accessories, etc. If you are not drawn to any of them keep sampling until you find the perfect color.

Getting used to a new room color can take a few days. A bright or bold color may seem overwhelming at first. Put some furniture, flooring, and fabric in the room.

You'll most likely be pleasantly surprised to see that your new color harmonizes with other room elements.
Deciding on the woodwork color for your home can also be confusing and challenging. Remember that white goes with virtually anything. A very unifying way to treat your woodwork is to paint it the same throughout your home.

And if you are deciding to paint the ceilings here are some tips, light colors are usually most pleasing for a ceiling, because ceilings are seen in shadow. A dark ceiling will make the ceiling seem lower. Buy ceiling paint one or two shades lighter than the wall color if you want your ceiling to match your wall color.