How to Pick the Perfect Paint Color

With the holidays behind us and a fresh perspective for a new year - What home projects are on your  'To Do' list?  Are you ready to shake up your space - maybe a bit with painting, a room makeover or thoughts of prepping your place to sell? 

As we experience inner changes in our lives: we grow older and wiser, marry or re-marry, having children, changing careers, move, make new friends, etc, etc, etc, we should also reinvent our homes to reflect our personal evolution. It can be a small change of fresh flower in a vase, changing furnishing or a big renovation project. When you feel the need to change something about your home- do it! In doing so, you embrace new ways of thinking, feeling, acting- you move forward in your life.

Let's start with a...

..... C O L O R

 

 

 

Where to start?

If working with your existing color palette– you have to consider fixed fixtures (e.g. tiles, countertop, carpet) that you cannot move. You have to consider colors, furnishings, fabrics, and light that are already in a room.  The paint color being considered must be compared to anything and everything already in the area.  So, first decide what you will keep in a room or not.  

 

• Next, decide how you want your room to feel like; do you want your room relaxing and cozy

 

 or you want energizing, dramatic feeling?

 

 

• Adding color to the room does not necessarily mean you have to paint walls with a bold color. If you want a red room – maybe all four walls might be too much but one accent wall or pops of red, e.g. carpet, fabrics, pillows, etc. will be just what you need.

Check this room – doesn’t this room look like red room with all the accent pieces? But  the color of the wall is actually sage.

 

 by Julie M. Kleiner_TradHome

 Now, compare these two beautiful rooms:

Blue walls, blue window treatment, blue furnishing and accessories. No doubt- it is blue!

by Phoebe Howard

Now look at this room by Tobi Fairley- blue window treatment, upholstery and accessories- doesn't this room look blue although the walls and ceiling are actually in warm beige (Wool Skein - SW 6148)?

 

Here is different example of Tobi's room- blue chair, accents in a rug (same as the trim in the window panels), blue pattern in upholstery and .... the ceiling - just perfect and just enough!

  

• Always check your color under varying light sources - The same color will look different during the day and evening. Be sure to use paint samples (big samples not 2”x2”paint chips). I always leave for my clients 14”x 14” paint samples so they can look at the color for a few days, changing also the placement of samples in different sites of the room.

• If you have a dark room, with little sunlight do not use white or a "barely-there" color. Light color will never bring that room to life - the light color will simply look gray and shadowed. Choose rather actual color or light color that can still be identified as an actual color.

Remember, paint alone cannot help you. You need to make some other changes to create the space and feeling you’re longing to experience. 

If you want to add color to your life – do it right! If you need help- give me a call 860-368-0056 or send me an email anna@asrinteriordesigns.com

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~ anna