Paint has the ability to transform a space. It’s a truly cost-effective way to make an impactful change in your home. You can paint walls, trim, floors, furniture, and cabinets to make your home more appealing and attractive. If you are wondering how to pick a paint color for your home, this blog post is for you!
I have been tackling a lot of paint projects recently. I painted my kitchen cabinets black, and I’m painting a kitchen hutch hot pink. To keep up with these projects, you can follow @Lauren_Rose_Home on Instagram.
In the past I’ve also painted walls and other pieces of furniture to make them fit my style. In this post, I’m sharing my best tips for choosing paint colors for your home. Whatever your style, these tips will help you select something you’ll truly love.
I am a firm believer that style is individual – and so is color choice. You can paint your walls and furniture whatever color you want, from plain white to bright pink. Ultimately, what’s going to determine if it looks right is if it aligns with YOUR vision for the space.
I use bright colors in my home that other folks may not pick. But everything works and looks right because it fits with my style and the plan that I have for the home.
Think about how you want your space to feel – what vibe you want it to have. Do you want to feel energized and excited? Then bright colors may be your best choice! Do you want the room to feel moody? A darker, muted color may be your best option.
Do you want it to feel rich and luxurious? Try jewel tones. Do you want the room to feel soothing and relaxing? Try more muted pastels or even neutrals to accomplish that goal.
Or perhaps, you want to bring in color with accessories, but keep the walls more simple. You could paint them white or beige and add color with the beautiful accessories and textiles that you bring into the room.
Once you know what vibe you are going for, head to the local hardware store and look at paint swatches. Pick your favorites, and then grab one or two shades lighter and darker of each color you select. Sometimes, the lighting in the room will make a shade appear different, so having a few different tones to try out really helps.
Bring your paint swatches home and try to narrow down to your favorites. I like to narrow it down to my top two or three choices. Then, you can buy paint samples of those colors.
Once you’ve bought your sample, paint a few different areas of the room or furniture piece. I generally pick areas that receive different lighting so I can truly see what the color looks like.
Live with the sample swatches for a day or two. Observe them in different lighting throughout the day and night. Make sure you know what these colors look like in the setting they will live in.
After you’ve done this, you can make an informed decision about the color you want to use. Using this method can prevent you from making mistakes in selecting your colors.
Once I painted our bedroom with a dark green accent wall and white walls. This room got no natural light, and in artificial light, the walls looked grey. It felt like an asylum! I repainted after testing a color thoroughly in all lighting – copper patina. The light blue green looked cozy in the lamp light.
All that to say – you need to really test your paint and understand how it will look in your space. Lighting can make a huge difference, and a light color like white in a dark room might seem like an obvious choice, but it actually looked really bad. Test, test, test!
This article is not about paint brands, finishes, or types of paint. It’s meant to help you select your color. But it’s important to pick the right paint for your project. Research different brands and types of paint to decide what works best for your project.
Be aware that there are different paint finishes that give your paint different levels of shine. For walls you can choose if you want satin, semi-gloss, gloss, or matte. They all accomplish different things, and some of them are better at hiding flaws than others.
If you are painting furniture or cabinets, I recommend using cabinet paint, which is always satin or semi-gloss (those finishes are more resistant to wear and tear).
I’m not an expert on paint types, but here’s a great article on choosing paint finishes.
There are some people who will give you design rules when it comes to paint. But I love breaking the rules! Here are some design ideas that go against the “rules” that people typically cite.
Usually it’s recommended to go light in a small room to make it appear bigger. But sometimes, a darker color can read as cozy and moody. It really just depends on what you want the room to feel like. If light and airy is your thing, go with a light color. If moody is your vibe, go dark!
Often designers will create rooms with just one bright accent color. I like using multiple bright colors together for an eye-popping effect. I mix hot pink and blue together in my living room, and I just love it. If you enjoy lots of excitement and stimulation, you can totally mix bright colors together.
I’ve heard that accent walls are out of style. But I have one in my living room, and I love it. It’s a Caribe blue accent wall, and it really brings the room together and makes that wall a focal point. I wouldn’t want the whole room painted in that shade of blue. For me, the accent really just works.
Painting over wood is out of style, and I’m all for including wooden elements in your home. I have many pieces that I have kept their natural wood tone. But sometimes, you just want to paint something in a pretty color! My blue buffet in my living room is my favorite example. I could’ve tried to stain this piece, but what I really wanted was a big blue buffet table with white trim. So I painted it!
Design, thrifting, and entertaining are my passion, and I share that passion with you through this blog. I also love being in the kitchen and crafting cocktails. I love Jesus and occasionally, I talk about him too. He has been so powerful in my life, and I love to bring him glory with my hobbies.
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