Seven Reasons Why You Should Never Rely on Swatches Alone to Pick the Perfect Paint Color

You have been dying to paint the living room a new color, but you have no idea where to start. Sound familiar? Many homeowners get these hopes and dreams for a new home decorating project but have trouble getting past this very basic first step.

Some people struggle because they don’t have the natural interior designing gift, but often times people struggle because they lack the confidence to be comfortable with whatever they choose.

After today, you will be fully prepared to pick the best color palette for your walls without all of the second-guessing!

Ask yourself what’s going to change??

The first thing that you need to think about is what else you want to change about the room. If all of the furniture is staying exactly the same, then you can inform the color selection with the items that are already in the room.

If all of your fixtures and furniture are changing, then you may want to make a few of those bigger purchases before changing the color on the wall. Part of the reason why this is important is because the color palette should be selected from the largest pattern in the room.

Whether it is a painting on the wall or a carpet on the floor, the largest pattern that lives in that room will give you the best options for your walls regardless of whether you are painting them a neutral or a bold color.

Know how much you are going to change… your project scope

If you are making sweeping changes to the room, then another important rule of thumb is the dark to light mantra. Your room should be a representation of reality, and in the real world outside most of the dark colors are on the ground and the world gets lighter as it reaches the sky.

Try to decorate the interior of your home with that same mentality. Keep the dark floors but fade into making the ceiling as light as possible. This will help you pick a color for the walls that ties the floors to the ceiling and keeps with this dark to light vertical transition.

You may decide that you want to start the entire room from scratch, and that can be a bit more overwhelming than replacing a couch or a rug or some other large item. This requires changing the entire color scheme and buying all new items from top to bottom, which can be overwhelming.

Get familiar with the color wheel…

A good rule of thumb for this labor-intensive home renovation project is the use of the color wheel. Yes, you remember, the one from your elementary school art class that taught you the primary and secondary colors and what mixed with what to make which. It applies in adulthood too, because the colors next to each other on that wheel tend to be the most complimentary!

Pick the right scheme based on your style…

Sometimes, the issue can be choosing a theme more than a scheme. You may not be sure of what mood you want to capture in the room and that can make choosing colors difficult as well. Some designers recommend taking a look inside of your closet before making big decisions about interior designing.

That may sound silly, but your clothing says a lot about both your personality and your tastes. You may be more preppy or bohemian, have an affinity for purple or olive green. All of this will tell you a bit more about whether a room that is decorated in nautical themes makes more sense than the photo of a shabby chic living room that you saw in Home Décor last week.

Follow this one simple rule…

Another simplistic rule of design is the rule of three colors. In any room, if you limit the number of colors in the palette to three then you will be guaranteed a clear design without making the room look too busy or too boring.

The other side of that rule, though is the rule of 60-30-10. About 60% of the room should utilize the dominant color in your palette, 30% should use the secondary color and the last 10% should simply be an accent. Using these three rules will make your color choices look like they were selected by a professional, guaranteed!

Get clear on your design style

If your palette is minimalistic and you are really racking your brain for that design thumb but cannot seem to figure it out, there is an even simpler solution. When all else fails in selecting the right color for your wall, go with the gray.

It is modern, clean but not too clinical or old-school like the standard whites or creams. It will give your room a stylish and classic look without taking away from any of the furniture or other design touches that your room may have.

Don’t waste anymore time wondering about those 50 shades of gray…

Spending time doing a consultation with an interior designer can change the look and feel of your room better than anything.

A professional designer can make you think of the options for your home decorating project that you would never have been able to come up with and they will be invested in achieving your dreams while sticking to your budget.

There are always options for you to make improvements to your home on your own, but if you are truly at a loss then click below to send me a note. Whenever you are ready to make the time, I am ready to build your dream!