One of the most intimidating parts of painting your home is choosing a color scheme and the right colors for the room. Many homes these days feature an open floor plan which can make it tricky to decide exactly what colors you should choose for maximum appeal. Keep reading for tips on how to choose the best colors for your home!
1. Consider your space and floor plan.
Some areas of your home are likely meant for relaxing, and others may be meant for energizing and invigorating. Depending on what the room you choose is used for, finding a paint to work with the space is a key part of choosing colors. A bedroom for example may look great with a soft, neutral color such as soothing beige or deep blue, and a living room may look best with pops or splashes of bright colors such as forest green or sunny yellow. Match the color to the mood, and that’s a great place to start!
2. Browse Pinterest or Instagram for ideas.
Many great ideas and inspiration can be found on Pinterest or other websites that can serve as an idea board. Another way to find inspiration for your space is to look through paint catalogs, interior design magazines, or even fabric swatches to help you choose the look you love. If you’re really stuck, going to your local home improvement store and talking with associates may help you get some ideas.
3. Consider your own personal favorite colors and color schemes.
Everyone has their own unique style that they naturally gravitate to, and when you paint your home, this is no exception. Sure, not all of your favorite colors will look great on your walls, but choosing a handful of shades from your own personal preferences can help you narrow down your options and get you started on doing more research for the best colors for your home.
4. Try to avoid trendy colors on all walls.
Trendy colors are just that—a trend. The unfortunate thing about trends is that within a few years, they become outdated and lacking in any style. You can avoid a complete overhaul to cover up trendy colors by either using it on an accent wall or sparingly throughout your home as a way to make architecture and décor pop. Sticking with classic, time-tested colors is a good way to begin your paint color search to find something that won’t go out of style in the near future. Remember when everything was painted a cool grey or harvest gold? Those trends are already beginning to die out in favor of more neutral colors.
5. Experiment with paint samples.
This is a low-commitment way to find the best color for your interior spaces without doing a total paint job. Once you’ve decided on a color scheme or group of colors you think would look great in your home, buy a variety of samples and try them in inconspicuous places to see how they would look in the room. This is also a good way to see how the shades of paint look in a variety of lighting environments; a color that you enjoy in sunlight may not look so great or will likely look much different on an overcast day or in the evening hours. This depends also on your overhead lights and lamps that may skew a color to appear differently than in natural light.
6. Use color theory.
You don’t have to be an expert to get the foundations of color theory and use them to your advantage when you’re ready to repaint your home. Certain colors, shades, undertones, and overtones just look better together and should be considered when finding the best paint for your walls. Color theory can help you decide on a single paint color or even an entire swatch of colors. It can help get your creative juices flowing and may spurn some wonderful ideas you may not have otherwise thought of.
7. Consider color psychology.
Color psychology is a relatively new advancement in psychology, but it can be used to your advantage when determining the best color for your particular space. Depending on the room and its function, color psychology can be used as a guideline for evoking certain emotions and feelings based on the chosen color. For example, it’s fairly well known that warm colors such as orange, red, and yellow can inject energy and spunk into a room where socialization or eating a meal is key. Cooler colors such as green, blue, or purple are known to help aid in relaxation, focus, or study and are often used where the energy of a room doesn’t need to be high.
To learn more about choosing the best colors for your home, click here or contact Burlett Paint for a consultation or quote and we can help you choose the best color for your space!