Color Your World – Fresh Paint, Fresh Look

Planning to move into a new home soon and dreaming of the colors of each room? Or does your current house need a facelift with new colors and new décor? Choosing paint colors can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many choices and sometimes the difference between shades is so subtle it’s enough to stress you out!

So how to choose the colors that are best to reflect home’s style and personality? We have some advice to take the pressure off.

Don’t pick paint first. This tip is for when you’re moving to a new home and haven’t yet chosen room decor. Or if you’re redoing a bedroom with new furniture and bedding. It’s easier to be inspired by color with the things you have in the room than try to match decor to paint after the fact.

Mood matters. Each room should elicit a feeling or emotion and the colors on the walls go a long way toward creating the intended vibe. For instance, many people might want their bedrooms to be a peaceful retreat. If the purpose of the room is to allow rest, then the colors should be soothing. A neutral palette is a good choice. Light blues, lavenders, and yellows can provide the right tone without being bland. A dining room or kitchen are examples of rooms you might want to feel social and warm. In that case, don’t shy away from bright colors. You could also consider more than one color — with an accent wall, or a pair of colors on opposite walls.

Light it up. Looking at colors in different light is another factor to consider. Natural light will give you the truest color. Your lamps or other light fixtures will show the same color in a whole other way.  Think about how the colors will look at different times of day.

Give it a test run. Still worried about how your paint of choice will look on the wall? Buy a sample can and paint a large swatch of wall of posterboard to tape on the wall and look at it for a few days to get a good feel.

Go with the flow. Use the testing phase to consider giving your whole home a color theme. If your rooms open into each other, stand in one room and see how the color looks next to another. Coordinating colors will be less jarring to the eye. On the other hand, don’t feel pressured to paint your whole house the same color, either. If you do choose to stick with one color, give the house some depth by painting each room in lighter and darker shades. This is another opportunity to use the accent wall concept for a splash of bolder or brighter color.

No matter the paint colors you choose, don’t forget to go with your own instincts or personal preferences. This is YOUR home, and if you want to see how your favorite color will look on the wall of your kitchen, try it!

Want some additional inspiration and home decor guidance? Check out our design center.