How to Choose a Paint Colour
Think about the mood of the room., Check the lighting., Don't go headfirst into painting; try painting your colour on a poster board before doing the entire wall., Use the colour wheel., Don't just focus on the one room., Think having just one...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Think about the mood of the room.
Do you want it to be fresh and open, or intimate and dramatic? Lighter feelings are usually created by cool colours, while warm colours generally make the room heavier and more dramatic.
Do you want stimulating and sociable or formal and quiet? Warm, bright and contrasting colours make for a more outgoing atmosphere; for a more formal atmosphere, try going with deeper blue-greens and neutrals. -
Step 2: Check the lighting.
They have the light boxes at paint stores for a reason: colours can look different in different lighting.
Natural lighting shows the truest colours Warm tones and yellows are brought out by incandescent lighting Fluorescent lighting causes a sharp blue tone , Don't be afraid to get brighter colours outside of your comfort zone; a chocolate brown or canary yellow might be great for an accent, or maybe the entire wall. , A small colour wheel can be an invaluable asset when picking paint colours.
It can help you intensify colours; for instance, if you want a strong red, have green accents, as they are complementary colours and bring each other out.
Look up other complementary colours and use them for accents and main colours. , You need to think of your house as a whole, otherwise you will have abrupt stops and starts of different colours.
Consider how the colour of, say, the dining room interacts with the colour of the kitchen. , Think again.
There are so many shades of colours, you could have an entire house painted in shades of white and it would never feel boring.
Use the colour wheel to find different shades of a colour that go very well with each other; you could, for example, have goldenrod walls with maize accents, or olive walls with shamrock trim.
The possibilities are endless for a single colour. , If you have a spacious room that you want to seem cozier, go with a warm hue; for smaller rooms that you want to feel larger, use cooler hues.
Consider the furniture, too.
If you've already got furniture, choose paint that will not clash with it.
Finishes play a big part.
If you choose the same colour for walls and trim, simply getting different finishes can make them seem different.
You could have an eggshell finish on walls and satin on trim, or vice versa.
The choice is yours.
Use flat paint for low-traffic areas, such as ceilings and walls.
Following that, use low-luster or satin finishes on areas you desire to have a bit of a shine; these types of paint are easier to clean and are better in high-traffic areas like hallways, kids' rooms, and kitchens.
Using this information, use high-gloss paints for shelves, banisters, or the like-anything you'd like to accent.
But beware, higher glosses tend to bring out imperfections. -
Step 3: Don't go headfirst into painting; try painting your colour on a poster board before doing the entire wall.
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Step 4: Use the colour wheel.
-
Step 5: Don't just focus on the one room.
-
Step 6: Think having just one colour is boring?
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Step 7: Consider the room.
Detailed Guide
Do you want it to be fresh and open, or intimate and dramatic? Lighter feelings are usually created by cool colours, while warm colours generally make the room heavier and more dramatic.
Do you want stimulating and sociable or formal and quiet? Warm, bright and contrasting colours make for a more outgoing atmosphere; for a more formal atmosphere, try going with deeper blue-greens and neutrals.
They have the light boxes at paint stores for a reason: colours can look different in different lighting.
Natural lighting shows the truest colours Warm tones and yellows are brought out by incandescent lighting Fluorescent lighting causes a sharp blue tone , Don't be afraid to get brighter colours outside of your comfort zone; a chocolate brown or canary yellow might be great for an accent, or maybe the entire wall. , A small colour wheel can be an invaluable asset when picking paint colours.
It can help you intensify colours; for instance, if you want a strong red, have green accents, as they are complementary colours and bring each other out.
Look up other complementary colours and use them for accents and main colours. , You need to think of your house as a whole, otherwise you will have abrupt stops and starts of different colours.
Consider how the colour of, say, the dining room interacts with the colour of the kitchen. , Think again.
There are so many shades of colours, you could have an entire house painted in shades of white and it would never feel boring.
Use the colour wheel to find different shades of a colour that go very well with each other; you could, for example, have goldenrod walls with maize accents, or olive walls with shamrock trim.
The possibilities are endless for a single colour. , If you have a spacious room that you want to seem cozier, go with a warm hue; for smaller rooms that you want to feel larger, use cooler hues.
Consider the furniture, too.
If you've already got furniture, choose paint that will not clash with it.
Finishes play a big part.
If you choose the same colour for walls and trim, simply getting different finishes can make them seem different.
You could have an eggshell finish on walls and satin on trim, or vice versa.
The choice is yours.
Use flat paint for low-traffic areas, such as ceilings and walls.
Following that, use low-luster or satin finishes on areas you desire to have a bit of a shine; these types of paint are easier to clean and are better in high-traffic areas like hallways, kids' rooms, and kitchens.
Using this information, use high-gloss paints for shelves, banisters, or the like-anything you'd like to accent.
But beware, higher glosses tend to bring out imperfections.
About the Author
Dennis Price
Enthusiastic about teaching pet care techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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