Paint – How to Select Colors

Freshening Up with Paint

Well, I am into the fall cleaning mode and in a big way!  We needed to replace our carpet and that was the inspiration to freshen up the house with new paint before the carpet arrives.    The whole project has snowballed into a major clean up, clean out and freshening up the whole house from top to bottom.

Choosing Paint Colors

One of the hardest things to do in decorating is picking paint colors.  Make sure you take your swatches home.  You need to select your paint color with the lighting in the room you are painting.  The light changes from room to room and obviously during the different times of day.  I think its best to pick when the day is brightest.

Often times you can ask the store clerk to give you a larger swatch.

It’s a must to hold the paint color against the wall, not on the carpet.  It takes on a whole new look when you place that color chip on the counter or floor vs. on the wall.

Before heading to the paint store, pull together pillows, rug swatches and anything else that is portable that you can take with you to narrow down your swatch selection.

Take the whole house into consideration when picking out your colors.  You want the house to have a certain flow.  Step back and look into the room from another room.  Imagine your new color in that room.  Does it flow well?

Once I narrow down my paint colors, I like to paint my woodwork color on the swatch.  It helps to see the two colors together.

If you are unsure about the color, buy a small quart and paint your wall.  You can also paint on leftover drywall scraps or a poster board if you are not ready to paint on your walls.

Accent Wall

Perhaps you want something more striking than just plain paint.   Consider an accent wall for the OMG factor!  I love the accent wall behind this beautiful bed.

via The Nester

Select your Paint Finish

You not only need to pick out a color but you also need to select what type of finish you want.  I like to use an eggshell finish on my walls.

I was torn between gloss and semi-glass for my woodwork on my stairs.  I had my stair treads and rails painted black.  I went from stained wood to painted wood.  (Pictures will follow in a future post).  I ended up going with a semi gloss.  I learned it all depends on your brand of paint.

Here is a nice guide on paint finishes.

via Kirsten Danielle Design

Storing Leftover Paint

Before you put the cap on your can, paint a wood stirring stick and label it for future reference as shown below.

via Martha Stewart

Once you are finished painting, store some of the leftover paint in mason jars for easy touch up in the future.  If you have a lot of paint left over, paint a swatch on the top of the can.  Take the time to label and date it …you will appreciate that extra step in the future.

Paint Color Inspirations

Visit great websites like Houzz, search pins on Pinterest or peruse the many great decorating blogs for color inspirations.

I just learned that Sherwin Williams will send a color expert to your home for a nominal fee.  You will receive a gift card to go towards your paint purchase to compensate for some of the fee.

Lastly, if you still can’t find the right shade for a specific color, take something (pillow, tile, rug, etc.) with that color to the paint store.  They can match it with their computer software.

How about you?  Do you find it hard to pick out colors?  Do you prefer all white and neutral or do you prefer color on your walls?  Are you painting in your near future?