What to Consider When Choosing Interior Paint Colors
February 5, 2018When you move into a new home, one of the first things you’ll remark to yourself is: “A fresh coat of paint would really look nice here”. Whether the walls didn’t have a great color palette, the paint is chipping, the previous owner smoked, or you’re starting fresh with a custom home, it’s clear pretty early on that new paint will be required. But with the myriad of paint colors out there to choose from, how do you decide? Here are a few things to consider when choosing interior paint colors:
1. Favorite Colors
Don’t knock your favorite colors! Even if they’re neon green and hot pink, you can artfully incorporate them in your color scheme. Choosing slightly lighter, or less optically offensive, shades of these colors for your interior paint colors can work as long as you allow some wiggle room.
Pick one as a foundation color and create a scheme around that. You can also use one of your favorite colors as the accent color. This will help you start somewhere you are comfortable with without becoming instantly overwhelmed when choosing colors.
2. Light Sources
Many homeowners are disappointed when they choose a color in-store only to not recognize it in-house. If the store has natural lighting, you’ll need natural lighting so your interior paint colors stay true to form. Or, take home some swatches and see how they look against your own walls with your own lighting. You’ll be surprised at how much a difference it makes.
3. Wall Surface
When you paint a mild color on a smooth surface, it will appear lighter than it does in the can. Conversely, the same color will appear much darker when applied to a rough surface. This is due to the surface difference. Consider this factor when choosing the colors you want. Also, keep this in mind if you are planning to use any two-tone wall ideas.
4. Paint Finish
High gloss, semi-gloss, matte, satin – there are many different paint finishes available. All the finishes are suitable for varying types of rooms, so it’s important to know their distinctions. A general rule of thumb is the shinier the finish, the more durable the paint. In high traffic rooms, the shinier the better. It’s also often easier to clean!
5. Decor Theme
Another consideration for choosing interior paint colors is your decor theme. If you will be decorating your home with a lot of different elements, a neutral color palette can be a great foundation that highlights your decor.
It can also help keep the decor from overwhelming the room with too much color. A more creative color palette can work well in a room. But, when your color palette is more creative and your decor is busy as well, it can sometimes create a hectic and overwhelming atmosphere.
6. Atmosphere
The colors in a room can have a big effect on the atmosphere created in the room and even on how you feel when you’re in it. That’s why there is an entire industry based around the psychology of color and how to use it inside your home. So, before you settle on specific colors or color schemes, think about the atmosphere you want to create in the room and how you want to feel while you’re in it.
Is this particular room going to be a calm, quiet place for relaxation? Then, try using cool, neutral colors such as a linen white or moss green. Someone who is looking for more of a family-style room with movies, games, and other types of entertainment may be interested in bolder colors.
Try using an accent wall in a lattice red, a warm sunny yellow, or a navy blue. You can stay on trend while having a bit of fun and really make the room your own.
If you’re looking for the right paint for the right room, not to mention the right equipment, give us a call at (717) 284-4090 or contact us at Custom Home Group today.