If you want to make an impression with your interior walls, you’ve got to know how to pick colors. Here’s your crash course in paint colors.
The furniture is in place, the books in alphabetical order, and everything has been dusted clean. But the walls are dull, lifeless, plain. Not anymore. With a little courage and a bit of determination, you can make your house’s interior walls sing with colors. When you’re ready to take the leap into the great colored beyond, keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be choosing colors like a pro in no time.
1. Colors Have Meaning
Want to cool a room off? Blue could be what you want. Need to brighten up a dark and dull room? How about a nice yellow. Want to create an exciting environment? Something bright, such as red or green, may do the trick. Knowing what colors do to your psyche will help you determine what tint to put in what room.
2. It’s Not Just the Walls that Matter
Ever wondered why a room’s color doesn’t feel right? Look around the room. If the walls are blue and the furniture is hot pink, that may be the problem. You’ve got to consider the colors of furniture and furnishings when choosing an appropriate paint color for the walls. Make sure the colors will work well together in order to have a room that feels put together. Also, if there is a hint of maroon in your favorite rug, painting the walls a complementary color will help that maroon shine.
3. Don’t Underestimate the Sample
You may think a two-inch-square piece of paper with a certain color isn’t helpful, but paint splotches have tremendous benefit. If you’ve got a neighboring room painted, put your paint splotch on the wall in an area where you can see the painted room through the door. If you don’t like how the colors flow into one another, keep looking. If it looks fabulous, go for it!
4. Get a pint for the trip home.
Still not sure which color is going to fit your den? Get a pint of the color you’re considering. Once you get home and paint a segment of the wall, you’ll have a better feel for how the color will look in the den. You may also find that the color you thought would look perfect is a little too dark, a little too grey, or a little too yellow to fit the room’s color scheme.
5. Go with the Pros
If your colorblind side seems to kick in when choosing appropriate paint colors, contact an interior decorator or professional painter for help choosing just the right colors. After all, getting help the first time around may save you from making multiple trips to the paint store.
6. Make the Perfect Color on Your Own
Sometimes, there’s a shade of brown you simply can’t find – no matter how many stores you visit. Grab a little bit of white or black and mix it in well. You’ll soon have a shade that your neighbors will drool over, but there is no way they’ll ever have it in their homes, as it was specially made for you. Just remember to only mix flat latex with flat latex, oil with oil, etc…
Answering the Call of Mother Nature
Even the most experienced interior decorators will admit how difficult it can be to choose the right colors for inside a home. However, if you want to have a nice color palate without going too far from the beaten path, look to good old Mother Nature. There are enough rich and soothing browns, greens, reds, and yellows to cover the largest house, and nothing says “Welcome” like nature-inspired wall colors.
Now, the only problem you’ve got is choosing between a fall, spring, or winter color scheme. Good luck!