Choosing the right paint color......

If you have ever painted a room, you know just how daunting it can be to get the color just right. You go to the paint store thinking it will be a simple task- bring home some yellow paint. But when you get there, you are overwhelmed by all the choices. Yellow isn't simply yellow. Do you want butter, honey, camel, orange or wheat yellow?

If you are lucky enough to find the right color, when you get it home and on the walls, you start rethinking your color choice- somehow it just isn't quite right. With all that in mind, here a few tips to help you get it right and not be afraid to tackle that next painting task.

First, you need to know a little about color schemes. There are many different color harmonies, but three of the like most common are monochromatic, neutral and complementary. Which one you use depends on the mood you would like to convey in the space.

Monochromatic is created by one color in different shades, as in light blue, blue and dark blue. This creates a very unified look and makes a room appear larger. Monochromatic is also the simplest color harmony, but that doesn't have to mean boring.

This room is a good example of a monochromatic color scheme. It uses varying shades of yellow.







Another popular color harmony is neutral. This one is achieved by using combinations of gray, black and white, but can also be brown, tan and beige. Sometimes accent colors are added to provide interest. These rooms are usually crisp and relaxing.


This room is a great example if a neutral color combination with an accent thrown in for some excitement.








A Complementary color scheme is one that uses two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. The most popular combination is red and green. But there is also blue and orange and yellow and purple. But these combinations can be altered by using varying shades of the colors. One color should be dominant and the other color can be a lighter intensity to soften the contrast.

This room uses the red/green combination, but in varying shades and intensities.






The best combinations use at least three colors and sometimes
four. One color is used and a dominate color and the accent colors draw attention to the details.
In this photo, the dominate color is red and the yellow and blue stand out and make the ottoman and pillows the focal points.













Now that you have an idea about color schemes, it's time to find just the right shades. Nowadays it is easier to match paint to your sofa rather than painting your walls and then trying to find a sofa to match the paint. There are literally 1000's of paint color choices while your accents and fabrics allow less choices. Most every paint retailer can now custom match a fabric or color that you bring into the store. That way you know your are getting the closest match possible.


It is also worth while to invest in a few cans of paint samples. They are usually $3-$5 and you can try out several colors on large patches of wall to really get the true feel of the color in the room. The little bitty paint chip may look great in the store, but once you paint half the wall at home, you may realize you made a mistake. The paint samples help prevent major headaches and regret!


You can also go online and try a paint tool. Sherwin Williams has Color Visualizer. You can pick what type of room and add colors to the furniture, trim, wall and ceilings to get a feel of what your room might look like. Benjamin Moore also has a visualizer but you can upload your own photos and apply color them.

Experts say the least expensive way to make the biggest change in a room is to change to wall color. It's the biggest area in the room and make the largest impact. Don't be afraid to be use bold colors. Hopefully this article helped out a bit. But if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!!

Thanks,

Sunshine

HomeWerks, A Design Studio