Even though you’ve made the decision to hire professionals to paint your home, you’re not completely done with the process. At Express Yourself Paint, we want you to choose whatever paint color, brand, sheen, etc. that appeals most to you for your home. You will never feel excluded from the process just because you aren’t handling the painting yourself. After all, you’re the one who has to live there. It’s important to us that you love the colors you choose, so here are some helpful tips for choosing the right paint color for you.
Consider Lighting
Color is affected by how much light it receives. It’s important that in choosing a paint color, you take into account how much natural light a space gets. Natural daylight shows the truest color, incandescent lighting brings out a colors warm tones and yellows, and fluorescent lighting casts a sharp blue tone. Be sure to take paint swatches home to the actual space you want to paint. The light in the store will likely be incredibly different from the lighting at home, so the color will look remarkably different.
Test the Color
Once you have the swatches narrowed down to a few colors, it’s a good idea to get a sample size of that paint from the store to test out on your walls. This will be the best way possible for you to really see how the color interacts with the light in your space. It’s also a good idea to observe the paint color at different times of day, which will give you a good picture of how the room will change throughout the day with the new color. This will also help you to see any potential problems with the decor.
Take Decor Into Account
Look around your space. Whether it’s the bedroom, the kitchen, or the living room you’re looking to paint, the furnishings of that space will definitely affect the color you choose. You’ll want to make sure you choose a color that compliments your furniture, flooring, cabinetry, and ceiling. It’s easy enough to swap out drapes, pillows, you could even get a new rug from https://bazaarvelvet.com/ if you wanted to. You’ll want to make sure that your furnishings go with the paint you pick particularly, if they don’t work with the color you choose. You wouldn’t want to select a paint color only to find it clashes with your kitchen cabinets. That could be a disaster. Also, you’ll want to consider the mood of the space you’re painting. By that, we mean the way you want the room to feel. Cool colors and neutrals offer a calming, quiet feeling while warmer, brighter colors are more stimulating and dramatic. Some bright colors have been found to lead to unrest and irritability, so it’s a good idea to avoid these in bedrooms.
Know Your Color Terms
Especially when dealing with professionals who forget that people don’t always know our lingo, it’s important to know some key terms so you can more easily keep up.
- Hue is what we call color.
- The Value of a hue refers to how light or dark it is.
- Saturation relates to how dominant the hue is. For example, as you move on the color spectrum from red to pink the red hue becomes less dominant (or less saturated).
- Intensity means the colors brilliance. A more intense color usually means a more dominant hue. Pure colors, like red for example, are more intense than mixed colors, for instance blue-green.
For a more active space, we might recommend a color with a strong intensity or that is heavily saturated. Now you’ll know what we mean.
Move From One Room to the Next
If you consider each wall as a plane of color, it’s important to see how they interact with each other. So walk from one room to the next to see how the color affects the house as a whole. If you’ve chosen a bold red dining room color and pass through a doorway to a stark, white kitchen, the transition might seem a bit harsh. Or the contrast may be something you like. Only you know what appeals most to you, but it is important to remember the house as a whole, rather than just examining each room individually.
Consider Different Finishes
A single color can be used for walls and trims without becoming monotonous or bland by simply using different finishes. If you don’t want to take the time (or expense) of choosing a complimentary color, simply using a matte finish one place and a glossy, satin sheen another can differentiate the space. This is especially useful in spaces with little wall area, as it helps to creating a cohesive look.
These tips should help you along the way, but ultimately paint color usually boils down to instinct on what appeals most to you. If you follow a color wheel for complimentary colors and choose a color that defines the space for your individual needs, you really can’t go wrong. You know your house and you know what you like, so trust your instincts, and when you’re ready to get that color up on the walls be sure to call Express Yourself Paint!
Category: Misc