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COLOR: How to Choose?

Allegra

2 July 2008

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Whether you’ve just purchased a new home or you’re looking to spruce up a home you’ve been in for a while, paint is a simple and cheap way to add personal flair and style.

That being said, choosing paint colors can be tricky. There’s a lot to consider before you take the color plunge. You don’t want something to end up with a room that slightly resembles a medieval dungeon or the inside of a Pepto-Bismol bottle.

Here are some things to consider before you head out and pick up paint samples:

What feeling does the room give off?

For example, a bedroom may feel tranquil or serene where a living room may feel comfortable and welcoming. A game room might feel active and energetic. You want the paint to complement the room’s feel or the color will seem wrong. Brighter, livelier colors make more sense in the more vivacious rooms while softer, less in-your-face colors work in the quieter spaces.

How big is the space?

If you’ve got a small area to work with, you’ll want to make it feel bigger, which can be done with lighter colors. Also, cooler colors like blues, greens and violets tend to make walls recede while warm colors like red, yellows and oranges bring them forward. So if you want a space to feel smaller and more intimate, go with the warmer, darker shades.

Where is the space?

Location of the room can play into color choices as well. For example, you wouldn’t want a wildly painted formal dining room. Here you’d want something elegant and tasteful. In a play room, you’ll most likely want something light and fun. A full bathroom should be relaxed, while you may want to make the laundry room simple and clean. Bottom line is that you want the color choices to complement the space. If they don’t, it might seem awkward and put you off the room.

Do you have a color scheme?

Unfortunately throwing a random of assortment of colors together will only make the room seem haphazard and awkward, not a space you want to spend time in. To start, find a color inspiration. Perhaps it’s a certain curtain fabric or a great throw pillow. Maybe it’s the new rug you picked up for the room. Once you have your inspiration, choose colors that go together. Colors in different shades from the same family work together. So do complementary colors–colors opposite each other on the color wheel like blue and yellow.

Remember to look at the undertones too. Some have a pink undertone, some yellow, some black. These undertones subtly come through and vary the shades of different colors.

Do your walls have trim?

Maybe you’ve got chair rail or crown molding. If the walls have any sort of trim, you can paint these an accent color to increase visual interest. For example, if you choose to paint the walls a light color, painting the trim dark will make it pop. If trim runs halfway up the wall you can use the trim divider to use two different walls colors, adding even more interest to the space. For instance, paint the chair rail a neutral color, then paint the bottom half a darker shade and the top half a lighter shade of the same color. If not but you still want something that pops, make a focal wall with an accent color.

As with anything in your home, the paint colors you decide on should reflect your personal taste. Whether you are quiet and reserved or funky and outgoing, the paint on your walls should reflect you. Now that you’ve gotten these tips, go out and have some fun with color!