How do I choose the right paint color for my rooms or home?

Answer 1

Depends on what theme you are trying to achieve. For living and dining areas use a more energetic color such as the range of whites.. For bedrooms I would use selective colors for feature walls such as a pale green or deep blue color. Use a neutral off white tone for the remaining walls so this gives the room a backdrop for the bed and design concept. Colors must follow the theme you are trying to achieve.. Meditteranean - earth tone colors from beige to dark browns for texture. Modern - mostly white based colors.. oriental - reds and orange.. or if you want to integrate feng shui you can use colors based on the sector they represent.. North - blues, South - reds, West and NW - Whites or grey tones, SW and NE - beige tones and East and SE - greens or light greens.

Answer 2

Does your home have the blahs? You've painted and rearranged and read the books and done all the "stuff" and it still is just a house or just a room. What could make the difference?

The answer is simply color.

We struggle with what is the right color and sometimes we settle for a neutral color because we are afraid to be bold. The solution is really to pick your favourite color and work with it.

Think about the colors you wear regularly that make you comfortable. This is a sure clue as to what you can live with long term. Do you wear splashes of color? Add splashes of color to your room. The decision comes with the value and the intensity of the color.

Most of us can select the hue -- blue,red, or yellow. Let's use red as an example. If you wear red, red could be your choice of color for a room. Red can range in value from soft pink to terra cotta. It can be pure or greyed or be mixed with other colors.

Select a paint possibility then to assist you with the final decision buy a small amount of the paint and paint a board about three feet by three feet. Place the sample board around the room. Check it out as you walk by. Do you like it under the window where there is a lot of light. How about in a dark corner? What are the effects of the color during the day, in the evening, at night?

With the test completed analyze the results. If the color is too dark, lighten it. If it is too strong, add another color or white. Paint stores have the color selections on displays. Look at what is beside the color you have chosen. Go to the lighter side if the color is dark. Move to the greyed colors if the selection you have made is too intense.

With the second selection, repeat the previous process. Remember that paint clerks work with color all the time and can be quite helpful. Ask their opinion. Remember that there is no wrong color for a room, only a wrong color for you.

Next step-- What colors work with the one you have selected as your main color? If you are not sure, look for patterned fabrics and see what colors are combined. Repeat what you see in the patterns in proportion in the room.

When colors are selected for a room don't forget the ceiling! Most of us settle for builder's white. That is not necessary. A ceiling colored the same as the walls provide a sense of intimacy. A ceiling painted in a complementary color to the walls makes the room look finished.

An example would be painting the walls a sage green, selecting a soft gold for the ceiling, mouldings in vanilla cream, furniture in deep cherry with sofas and chairs in a variety of stripes or patterns in golds, greens and creams. Suddenly the room becomes tied together, intimate, balanced and inviting.

Repeat the process room to room thinking about how the colors connect at intersecting walls and ceilings. Think as well about the view from room to room. Can you see the red room from the green room? Does it feel right?

Color applied by painting is the easiest and the most economical way to change a room or an entire home. Experiment. The impact can be dramatic and very pleasing if time is spent thinking through the color selection process. Don't be intimidated by a few paint chips. Do the process. The results will be rewarding.

Effect and colors are partners. Colors that encourage intimacy include reds and oranges. Color that are dramatic include navies, deep greens, and purples. Colors to add freshness include apple greens, yellow and whites. Easy to live with colors are mid-blues and taupes. Take courage. Choose colors you like. Apply the process. The results will be rewarding.

Answer 3

Don't buy on your first trip Choosing paint requires two trips to the store. If you know in advance that you're not actually going to be choosing colors on your first trip, you can relax and get inspired. Stop by the store on a Monday evening after work to avoid the weekend crowd. Turn your fear into excitement and pull color swatches to which you're immediately drawn. Take as many paint swatches home as you want. I've been known to take 50 or 60 at a time -- that's why they're there Know your shades Perhaps the biggest mistake people make in choosing color is not knowing the difference between a background color and an accent color. In cosmetic terms, the background is the foundation and the accent is the lipstick, eye shadow, and blush. If we understand that wall color is designed to show off the accessories in a room, then we can understand why choosing accent colors for the walls instead of appropriate background shades is a mistake.

Answer 4

Some good suggestions here in terms of deciding what you will like. Check out magazines or shows on HGTV etc.

I usually advise people to then go to paint store and pick a color...then buy the next shade darker or more intense on the paint strip....most people pick too pale of a color and wonder why their home doesn't feel warm.

Buy GREAT quality paint....it's silly to cut corners here...the most expensive paint in the world isn't that much more than the cheapest and it goes up so much better.

Remember, if you put up a color and hate it...paint is cheap, you can always redo it.

Answer 5

I suggest starting by making a list of the rooms and what you'd like their "moods" to be. For example, you might want a bedroom to feel restful (blues and greens) and a kitchen to feel stimulating (brighter accent colors). Or you may have a dim, dank, poorly lit room that feels a little depressing and needs to be brightened up (white or pale yellow).

You may have a bunch of furnishings that will only coordinate with a certain color, or accents like throw pillows that include a color you like. Or perhaps you've always loved the idea of having a big bold block of color on one of your walls. Or you may love the look of a room you've seen in a magazine.

With that information in mind, visit the paint display at the hardware or paint store. There'll be a whole rack of free paint chips. Pick up ones that may be close to what you have in mind and take them home.

At home, compare the paint chips to the furnishings and accents that will be in those rooms. Live with the paint chips for awhile, until you can decide on the ones you think you'd like.

Then go back to the hardware store and get the smallest amount possible of the colors you want - probably it will be a quart. Apply a fairly big sample of the paint to one wall where you'll have to look at it frequently. Live with it awhile. Do you like it? If so, then head back to the hardware store and get a bigger can.

If none of this works out ... there's always white! You can also experiment with hanging sheets or quilts over walls for fairly quick bursts of color that aren't permanent.

Answer 6

Many options to consider. Type of paint: Oil, Latex or Acrylic. Type of paint finish: Glossy, Semi-Gloss, Satin or Flat
How is the room used - kids, formal, etc. Type of paint and paint finish will determine clean-ability, scuff-ability and durability. Typically, ceilings are white, wood trims and casings are oil and interior walls are a semi-gloss or satin latex or acrylic. IF it has been some time since last painting it might be wise to use a good primer first.
Color is up to you and your personal tastes. Decorating magazines and home design shows offer a myriad of useful and informative tips, suggestions and pallets.
Paint stores often offer classes and can assist you in choosing the correct paint for the surface and the correct finish for the application.

Happy painting.

Answer 7

At home, compare the paint chips to the furnishings and accents that will be in those rooms. Live with the paint chips for awhile, until you can decide on the ones you think you'd like.

Answer 8

The paint shop will provid your wiyh a brochure or a lotttt of colors..just depend s on your choice .Personally would sugesst to go for light shaded colors becaus your home would look more bigger and moreover light colours will give you a sense of peace if you will be staying most of the time at that place.

Answer 9

By looking at the choices you've already made. Is there a certain color that keeps repeating itself whether in your clothes, carpets or other choices. Look at magazines and clip out the pictures and put them where you'll look at them often. See how you feel about the different things.

Answer 10

Look through some magazines on decorating. You will get some wonderful ideas. Have fun.