A Homeowner’s Guide to Picking the Right Paint Colors for Your Home
Writer • February 5, 2021
A new paint color or a fresh coat can add a whole lot to your home and your interior design. But selecting the paint color you’ll use for a particular room can be difficult.
How do you select the right paint color for your home in Pensacola, FL? Here are a few expert tips to help you choose the right paint color for each room in your home, so you can create a coordinated, attractive interior design:
- Pick based on furniture or décor: It will be much easier to choose a paint color that goes with the items you’ll be placing in the room than the other way around. Chances are you already have furniture and décor you like, so think about the colors and patterns of those items and the paint colors that are most likely to go with them.
- Fall back on neutrals: You don’t necessarily have to stick to neutrals, but they’re always a great fallback option if you’re having a hard time choosing something. Neutral colors give you a blank palette on which to work when it comes to all the other décor in your room. You can add color accents with your furnishings and décor. That’s not to say bold colors can’t work—you’ll just want to make sure most of the rest of the items you place in the room are neutral if you go with bold walls—otherwise, it will be overwhelming to the senses.
- Find sources of inspiration: Checking out room designs online on sites like Pinterest can help you determine what you do and don’t like before you start making any decisions for your home. You can look into how colors coordinate with each other, how they work with light, and what sort of ambience or emotion they evoke.
- Test your paint colors: Before you paint the entire wall, choose several different paint colors and get small test cans. Paint some squares of those colors on your walls, and leave them up for a few days so you can see how the colors look under different lighting and at different times of day. This will also help you see how the paint dries and if it’s actually the color of the swatch you got.
- Choose the right sheen: Make sure you consider the sheen in addition to the color. You have options ranging from flat or matte (no shine at all) all the way up to high gloss. Matte tends to be ideal for low-traffic rooms, while glossier paints are ideal for trim, cabinets, high-moisture or high-touch areas. The most commonly used finishes tend to be satin and eggshell, both of which are highly versatile and can be used in moderate or high-traffic areas.
- Work with color themes: You don’t have to paint your whole house the same color, but if you have rooms that open into each other or that you can see when standing in a different room, it’s best to make sure there’s some sort of theme or consistency—otherwise, you’ll have a very hodgepodge appearance.
For more tips about how to select the right paint color for your Pensacola, FL home, contact Fresh Start Painting Inc. to speak with a professional painter.
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