Paint. Paint has the ability to make or break a space.. it can transform old into new, but mis-step in the process of choosing the right shade and it can end up having an unintended result.
When deciding how to spend your time and money, I hope that following 5 tips will assist you in creating the environment you desire.
When choosing paint colors:
1. Choose a color from the decor that you plan to utilize in the space.. that's correct - paint colors should be the last thing that you consider. (Not that you should wait until the very end to paint - but it is wise to allow the overall look dictate what colors will optimize the appearance of the room.) In a dining room - allow the pattern in the chair cushions or in the art work you plan to hang on the walls - help to create your pallet. This also lends itself to the second part of a painstaking and rewarding process..
2. Gathering ideas. If you know what style represents you best - begin to create a mood board on #pinterest. As you pin different inspirational photos - a theme will begin to show on your curated board.. Using the decor in your space will help you to land on a color pallet and, believe it or not, your wardrobe can help with that, too. We tend to gravitate to colors like we do foods, restaurants, and genres of books and movies.. we have favorites. So - if those colors work and bring you peace and joy - look to the colors that you feel your best in and, consequently, surrounded by.
3. This may be the most important of the 5 tips because it is the mistake we are all likely to make at one time or another.. You go to the paint supply store and you land on a swatch - reading the cute name - you think "This is it!" and you buy a gallon or two, only to get home and realize that you may have just painted the walls the same color as the patch of "yellow snow" instead of "freshly fallen snow"! Not EVERY COLOR looks the same in EVERY SPACE! Especially in the hardware store under florescent lights - take it home.. which brings me to tip four...
4. Samples, samples, samples. Buy a small 5 ounces can and test it somewhere in your space along with each of the other shades or hues, and decide which compliments the surroundings and decor best. OR - if it takes you time to make your decision and you are not great at committing: some companies will send you a decal that is the exact shade of paint you are considering, that you can remove and replace in a variety of areas around the room.
5.Last, and certainly not least - before nailing down the "IT" color - really think about the bigger picture. What is the theme, of not just the room, but the entire house? What look are you going for and do all paint colors flow nicely together? When we moved into our home - 6 years ago - before Covid and the sky-rocketing housing market changes - we found our house because of the horrid photos posted on Zillow and, even worse, the rainbow of paint colors across the home.. the living room was painted baby poop brown, the kitchen was salmon, the wash room was neon green and our daughter's bedroom was a terrible blood red... I mean - Halloween excitement aside - who really wants to live in the "REDROOM"?! Consider strongly how one room looks through the entryway from the other spaces and choose an entire pallet on the look and feel that it brings to you and your family.
If you need help choosing paint - I can help - its one of the many services I offer. Find me at freetodesigninteriors.com
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