By HILARY JOHNSON
Tips for Choosing the Right Paint Colors
When painting a new home, or simply updating the décor of your current home, a little paint can go a long way. Choosing the right colors can seem like a daunting task, but it really all comes down to what you like.
Rule #1: Go with What You Love
No matter what, the most important part of choosing the right paint colors is to choose what you like the best. After all, you’re the one that has to live with it. If you like bold colors, don’t be afraid to show it. Bold colors can be quite attractive in any home, old or new. Play off the colors of your furnishings and any architectural pieces (such as molding) and go wild.
If you like bold colors but aren’t sure that you would like them on your walls, consider using them as accents throughout your home. For example, you could have one accent wall painted bright red or blue. Or you could paint bookshelves or furniture with the bold colors and keep your walls neutral.
Create Contrast
If you are looking to paint your door frames and other built-in fixtures, create contrast by painting these a different color. For door frames and molding, consider painting them the same color but a shade or two lighter to create eye-catching contrast.
Built-in bookshelves are another great place to create contrast. Consider painting the back of the bookcase a completely different color to create a focal piece that really pops.
Painting your home is a big part of making it your own. The colors you choose really set the mood and atmosphere of your home. So, take your time and go with what you really like.
Stick to a Scheme
Whether you are going with bold colors or sticking to a more neutral palette, you want to stay within the perimeters of a color scheme from room to room. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have rooms be completely different colors, only that the colors are compatible so they are pleasing to the eye and don’t clash.
Staying within a color scheme is made easy in your local home improvement store’s paint section. The sections with the paint cards will often follow color schemes so you can see what colors are compatible.
Test Everything
Sometimes there might be a color that you really like but that just doesn’t work, or one that you think might work but you aren’t really sure. The best way to decide is to try it out first.
Bring home a test can of a few different colors and paint a large section (at least 4ft by 4ft) of each on your walls. Leave it there for a couple days and get a feel for which color you really like in your house.
Every color is going to look a little different in your specific room and will change depending on the lighting, which is why it’s important to see it through a couple days.