10 Tips for Choosing the Right Paint Color

Tuesday, 22 June 2010 11:15

Written by Julia Taylor

Everyone knows a person who seems to just know how to match colours and make a room, an outfit or anything that involves colour look great. The colours always match and people wonder why. The good news is that this is actually a learned skill and is something that anybody in the design field will study whilst doing their degree. When I was studying Interior Design years ago I was actually surprised at how easy it is to get a great affect from different colours.

Colours can even go so far as to affect your mood. Clever parents could use a specific colour to increase motivation in their children and make them study harder. Have you always wondered why hospitals are always the same muted colours? It is because the colours they use are proven to have calming effects on people, so then the patients are less stressed.

Like everything else in the world choosing colours has basic rules behind it and if these are followed than the end result will simply work. One of the most basic ways to match a colour is to use its complimentary colour, which means the colour that sits opposite on the colour wheel. E.g. Blue and Orange, Red and Green (why do you think Christmas Decorations look so great), Yellow and Purple, etc.

When it comes to decorating or choosing the right paint colour it can be a challenge especially because these days there are so many options to choose from. I can tell you that Dulux has around thirty different whites! I will give you ten tips to ease the stress of trying to find that “perfect” colour that will make your home comfortable for you.

1. Be Patient

Paint is the easiest and cheapest thing to change in your room, so it is best to wait until you work out the style or scheme of the room you are going to paint. Your paint should follow your furniture, accessories, rugs, etc not the other way round.

2. Put all your samples together

When you go shopping for paint take the samples of the different fabrics you have in your house with you. You need to look at everything together before making a final decision. Trying to match colours without the real samples and just using your memory will not work. Just think about the time that you bought those shoes thinking that they were the perfect match for that blue dress and when you got them home the colour was not even close.

3. Really Study the Colours

Look at all the colours together and try to get a bigger sample piece so you can see more of the colour. Don’t rule out darker colours without first seeing how they look in the room. Always hold a paint sample colour up vertically against the wall and in the room you are going to paint. The lights in the shop are not the lights in your house and paint is on the wall, not the floor so holding it up vertically is very important and will often make the colour look a few shades darker.

4. If you are not sure follow the proven

Most places that you will go shopping will have tried and tested colour schemes. If you feel choosing colours and being adventurous is beyond your grasp than follow the schemes they suggest.

5. Paint type also needs to be considered

Paints have many different finishes and they are all good for different things. A matte finish is good to hide imperfections in your walls, but a glossier paint will reflect more light.

6. Decide if you want a warm or cool colour scheme

As I said earlier, colours can change people’s moods. Sometimes you will be in a space and feel really comfortable, which is usually because they have chosen a warm colour scheme. Both warm and cool colours have different benefits behind them, e.g. if you live somewhere that is really hot it could be better to use a cool colour scheme and alternatively if you live somewhere cold it could be better to choose a warm colour scheme. Some warm colours are orange, red and pink. Some cool colours are blue, green and purple.

7. Don’t think White is always White

I know when I first started doing design I was shocked by the differences in white. You have cool whites, warm whites, pink whites, yellow whites and the list goes on! I suggest looking at the other colours you have in the room and follow the white to match them, e.g. if you have warm colours then you could do a yellow-based white. If you have dark colours and you want them to really stand out than you should choose a bright white with not much colour in it.

8. Ceilings always look darker

Most people forget about the ceiling when they are trying to come up with a colour scheme and always just opt for white, but matching the ceiling to your walls or doing a different colour can achieve some striking results. Just remember that the ceiling is always in shadow, so it will appear to be a few shades darker than the walls. If you want to match the walls then ask for the colour to be a few shades lighter so they look the same.

9. Try before you buy

After you have gone through all the steps and umed and ahed until you think you have really chosen the perfect colour buy a test pot. This is a cheap way to really cement your decision. Take it home and paint a small section of the wall and look at during the different times of the day and all types of lighting you plan to use in the space. This is cheaper than painting the whole room and realizing you chose wrong. When you have the sample colour on the wall also make sure you check it with all the other colours in the space, e.g. sofa, cushions, rugs, etc. But remember the colour of paint when it is dry to when it is first put on is completely different, so wait a few hours before you really look at it.

10. Wait and see

If at first you feel the colour is not what you wanted or it is too overwhelming than just wait a few days or weeks. Put the furniture back into the room and see how it looks then, you may be pleasantly surprised.

For the next article I will be talking about how to make small apartments feel larger. Also, if you have any questions about things you are trying to achieve in your apartment let me know and I will try to answer them.

Comments

#6 http://www.homewallart.co.uk — 2010-09-15 19:02

Whatever trim colour you use, remember that a colour can appear different when paired with another colour. Take chips of both colours and make sure they work well together for wall and trim harmony. Also, remember that paint is one of the least expensive changes you can make to a room. Don't be scared to be daring or take a few risks - with a fresh coat of paint, no one will ever know your walls were once Putrid Purple!

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#5 RE: 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Paint Color — chattynattii 2010-07-16 13:52

Great tips Ms Colouriste! Thanks. x

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#4 RE: 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Paint Color — Mirna 2010-06-22 18:33

Huge project of our own coming up in July; remodel our new Paris (!) apt, so I have been obsessed with color, walls, curtains, kitches, etc...thanks for the article Ms. Julz!

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#3 RE: 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Paint Color — elena 2010-06-22 16:45

Thanks Florencia! Looks like I have what to do tonight :) I have a free bedroom at home, which I want to convert into the chilling room, place where you can relax with the book or play/listen to music, write stuff, browse net, have some drinks etc. But have no idea how to decorate it. Have white walls and ceiling, light beige soft carpet, light laminate and nothing else :) Any ideas or tips what to do with it?

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#2 For Elena, A cool Website — FlorG 2010-06-22 16:31

This is the website of one of my favorite cable stations back in the US, HGTV. A home improvement TV channel with really cool shows (is like the Food Network of Decoration), HGTV was always on .
Anyway, this website has tons of interesting stuff, the link I’m posting is from the Designer Portfolio section, where room by room offers pictures of homes designed by different interior designers.
I think this can be a really cool place for ‘design newbie’s’ to get inspired for your next home improvement ideas.

http://www.hgtv.com/designers-portfolio/living-rooms/index.html

Enjoy !!!!

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#1 This is a great guide! — elena 2010-06-22 12:38

Julz, thanks for the article. It's really informative. It's very true for every women to know and understand the color wheel to understand how to match the colors. I studied it at make-up course I took a while ago. Knowing how to play with colors does make a huge difference.

Even though I learnt how to choose colors for my make up and clothes, I'm an absolute disaster when it comes to interior design / decoration. Since the day I was born all the houses I lived in had white walls and ceilings. When I was a kid I tried to paint a piece of wall with watercolors and got scolded for that. Since than I keep my walls white :)

I love watching interior design shows on TV and design magazines and I adore all those colorfull walls and furnitures. Several times I wanted to paint the walls, but then I couldn't decide on the color, so until now they are bright white. I wish it could be changed one day, but as you said one has to be patient with color. I want to udnerstand the whole design of the room first and get some ideas for curtains, furnishing, rugs and stuff before choosing the color.

On the weekend I re-watched Sex and the City movie and I loved Carrie's renovated appartment.