Picking an interior color for your home can feel like a daunting task, but these tips make it a breeze! Before lifting a paint palette, take a detailed look at your home. Take note of all the home finishes, flooring type, and color, exposed beams, fireplace, ceiling details, etc. Be mindful of these tones and hues in your search. Below are three ways to find the perfect interior color.
What’s your favorite piece in your home?
A rug, painting, or pillow could have the colors you're looking for. Pull colors from your favorite pieces in the room. Selecting a paint color from your décor is much easier than finding décor to match the walls. Maybe there’s a color in a painting you want to pull out, or your furniture is darker than you expected. The paint color allows you to adjust for these details and tie the room together. The textile rug in your living room could be hiding the colors you're looking for.
Think of your favorite colors
Take a peek into your closet, what color do you wear the most of? We’re typically drawn to our favorite color when it comes to clothes. Once you identify the color think if it would be best as a wall or accent color? This is a great compass to navigate between brighter colors or neutrals and create a color palette for the space.
Build an inspiration board
Thanks to the internet, you have thousands of designs at your fingertips. Take a scroll through Pinterest, what images do you like the best? Are you drawn to neutrals, blues, pinks? Create a board for the designs you love, and identify what they all have in common. This could lead you to the perfect color or theme for the room.
Now that you have a color chosen think of what paint finish would work best for the room. Here’s a quick break down:
- Matte Finish: Ideal for low traffic areas like bedrooms and ceilings, this finish has the least shine of them all and is the hardest to clean.
- Flat Finish: Another great choice for low traffic areas. Most suitable for kids and pets because it’s easier to clean compared to a flat finish.
- Eggshell Finish: Has a slight shine and good for low traffic areas, easy to clean with a damp cloth if needed. Most often found in living rooms.
- Satin Finish: The most popular finish, commonly used in hallways. It’s well equipped for high traffic areas and moisture because it’s extremely wipeable.
- Semi-gloss Finish: Provides a subtle shine, often used for cabinets and trim. It’s easy to clean and holds up to moisture well.
- Hi-Gloss Finish: Ideal for high use surfaces such as railings and furniture because of its glass-like finish. Gives a shiny and polished look while being easy to clean.
The different paint finishes can give the same color a slightly different look. For example, a flat finish on the walls, with a hi-gloss finish on the trim brings new significance to a single color while maintaining a cohesive look.
Once you’ve got your color and finish decided, pick up a sample. Test the paint on a large section of the wall or with a large piece of cardboard. Watch a paint sample for a day, observe the undertones, and the way light hits. Natural daylight will show the paints true color, incandescent lighting brings out the warmer tones such as reds and yellows, and fluorescent lighting tends to cast blue tones. Be sure you like the paint throughout the day's light changes. Use test swatches to compare with your home's permanent finishes. Does the color blend well into other rooms? Do you like the paint finish? Does it blend well with your furniture?
We wish you all the best in finding the perfect color for your home, do you use a different method of choosing the right paint color for your interior walls? Let us know!
Happy painting!