What color or colors should I paint my house?

Question

Last summer I bought a brand new house and the builder left all of the walls white for me to paint myself. So, this Summer my goal is to paint my whole house. I was wondering if I should go with a neutral color throughout the whole house or should I go with a different color in each of the rooms. Someone please help! P.S I don't want my house looking like a rainbow!

Answer 1

The use of color is also something very personal. It stimulates our senses, power our mood, and helps create a particular ambiance. How we respond to an individual color depends on our nature, extroverts tend to feel happy with bold colors, while introverts prefer more passive colors.

Through using specific combinations of color, combined with a careful consideration of simple color schemes is often the most effective.

Try not to use more than one or two principal colors in a room, as well as a contrasting or balancing tone. The best way to choose a background color for the room is to trial with a palette of different shades and tones, in combination with the color and textures of the furniture and materials. Remember the general color schemes of a home have to be in agreement. The walls define the space in a room, while the colors, to a large degree, define the mood.

Colored light, furnishing materials, and structural proportions, we can create a home that is welcoming, helpful, and comfortable. Walls are similar to background music: each color tone is like a musical note can create a pleasant-sounding harmony while others grate with each other.

The color with which we surround ourselves will without doubt have an effect on us, and so it is important to feel comfortable with our choice. A discussion with a professional color consultant can help to decide individual needs and select appropriate color.

Colors can be divided into three main groups: those that stimulate and uplift, those that relax and calm, and those that provide harmony or balance. So, having taken a number of things into thought when decorating a room, such as the size of the space, the amount of light, the function if the room, and the style and mood we wish to create, we finally, and most importantly, need to consider the needs of the people who use it.

Answer 2

A neutral color like Navajo White from Sherman Williams is a great choice if your accessories and furniture have a lot of color. If you have more solid color furnishings, Mossy Greens and Mustardy Yellows are in these days with Navajo White trim. A good way to do both is to put up wainscotting and paint it a light color and then paint the wall above it a dark color or visa versa. You can get 3 peices of wainscotting that are each 32" tall from one 4' x 8' sheet of paneling (beadboard style) making for an economical decorating option. Despite what you've heard, don't be afraid to use dark colors in a small room. My bathroom is 10' x 6'. I put wainscotting on the bottom and painted it off-white. I then painted the top half chocolate brown. The trick to lightening up the room was to paint the doors and woodwork off-white as well. In the shower, I used a matte white 4x4 tile (the second least expensive option in the store) with a tan and brown tumbled marble border at the top. I then installed a very inexpensive wooden ceiling stained a natural color and rounded everything off with white fixtures, cabinetry, and towel bars. Finally, I installed a vinyl floor using 12" x 12" peel and stick tiles (cost...$40!) in a mottled light tan color that looks like stone. The whole project, including new pedastal sink, new toilet, wall and floor tile, cabinets, paint, wainscotting and window treatment cost less than $500. Good luck.

Answer 3

Paint each room a different color. But if your unsure why not just go for a feature wall in each room. Also leaving the ceilings a light color such as white or cream through the whole house it will allow the rooms to flow.

Answer 4

Your right, you shouldn't make your house look like a rainbow. So maybe downstair you can stick with a color related to red. Then upstairs you can stick with a color related to blue! just don't paint every room a totally different color.

Answer 5

Choose all you favorite colors and things.. then think about where you feel the most happy seeing them. For example in the if you love the oceans .. think where in the house you would like to create that ocean feel and paint it blue or aqua. Again, the kitchen think of a fruit and use that color. The living room ..things you like to share and use that or those colors. Remember you can add trimming, wall paper and boundaries to bring out the fun and joy in your colors.......good luck

Answer 6

If you painted the house just one colour you'd probably get bored with it pretty darn quick. I did see a program years ago on selecting colours for your house that was excellent but unfortunately I cannot recall what it was called. (I'll blame it on age!)

If you must paint just one colour, I highly recommend Benjamin Moore's Cloud White. It's definitely white but a soft one.

Just remember you want your rooms to look current and fresh not trendy....so what appeals to you now may be dated looking within the year.

I've also dug up some other references for you:

Answer 7

Lily White or Orchid White for the whole house. Choose a good paint.

Answer 8

I would choose different colors, but ones that accent eachother, or I would go neutral and put up borders in the rooms

Answer 9

White Brown.

Answer 10

It really depends on the type of room, and type of house... Blue is a neutral color, but it's kind of boring if you get light blue.