How to Choose Wall Paint Colors for Your Home Interior

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How to Choose Wall Paint Colors for Your Home Interior

Choosing a paint color for your next wall painting project doesn’t have to be intimidating. Even if you don’t have an interior design background, rest assured that you can confidently select the right paint colors for your home interior by following these simple guidelines.

 

Choose Your Muse

Selecting an inspiration piece that contains colors you like is a good way to kick start the wall painting process. Perhaps the color scheme for your room will come from your favorite throw blanket, a fabric pattern found on your sofa, or even the colors of your kitchen dishes. Whatever your wall paint muse may be, decide on just one inspiration item, and then look for furnishings and paint colors that complement it. And don’t be afraid to get creative! A customer once matched a red/brown leaf that fell from her favorite tree during the fall.

Purchase Furnishings & Decor First

Before you step inside a paint store or schedule a paint color consultation with an expert in-home color consultant, you should always select your room’s furniture and accessories, first. Doing so will help make your decision process easier. Choosing wall paint that complements the room’s decor is always a much simpler approach than trying to match all of your furniture, art, accessories, or backsplash with a paint color.

Stick with Your Own Style

Chances are, the color you choose for your walls will be there for many years, so you want to pick something that you won’t tire of quickly. When choosing paint color for your home interior, it’s always best to stick with hues and shades that you already like.

If you want a more subtle, calming look, choose a paint color that reflects your taste such as a cool shade of blue, or a warm, light orange. If you tend to lean toward more exciting colors, try a deep purple, or vibrant teal. And if you’re looking for elegance, choose wall paint that is neutral in color such as a red-toned brown, or a cool, light green. Just remember that the wall paint color you choose must also complement the furniture and decor in the room!

Note: If you are planning to sell your house soon, choosing either a shade of white or even off-white will brighten up your home’s interior. These colors will also allow a buyer to easily paint over the walls with their own favorite hues.

Be Mindful of the Color Wheel

When choosing wall paint color, you should also think about the concept of the color wheel. This will allow for thoughtful, cohesive interior painting. Here are some rules of the color wheel that can help with wall painting:

  • Primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. Combining primary colors allows you to achieve secondary colors like green, purple, and orange.
  • Analogous colors appear next to each other on the wheel. Choosing two colors that appear near each other can help one of the colors stand out in a room. If you’re also painting your trim, consider choosing analogous colors.
  • Opposing colors on the wheel are complementary and tend to work well together when it comes to paint and room decor.

Put Your Paint Color to the Test

After you have decided on a few different paint colors and have hired a professional painting company, there are a variety of ways to test the paint in your home before committing (for free):

  • Select free paint testers at the paint store and try them on your walls at home.
  • Schedule an in-home color consultation with a professional color consultant. This is ideal if you still need advice even after testing out paint colors.
  • Have a painting company mail color swatches directly to your home. Once you decide on a few of your favorite colors, this can help you narrow down your choices. You can even have large sheets of color printed that stick to your wall, which can help you easily see how the color will look in your home.
  • Have your walls digitally painted. Select the colors you want for your walls, and email them to the painting company who will create a digitally-painted picture of your actual walls with the new color.

When testing out paint colors, you can either try them on your walls, or even paint some foam core boards and set them up throughout the room. Doing this will help you see what the paint will look like in the morning, afternoon, night time, and from different angles. You may want to leave the test paint on your walls or foam boards for several days so you can see how the natural sunlight and your interior lighting hits the color throughout the day.

Select the Right Paint Finish

So, you’ve finally found the perfect paint color for your walls. Great! But don’t overlook the paint’s finish! Each type of paint finish can drastically change how paint color appears inside your home.

  • A flat (matte) finish is perfect for adult bedrooms and other rooms that don’t get a lot of kid traffic. Flat paint tends to soak up color and provides the most pigment.
  • An eggshell finish is flat, yet gives off a very gentle sheen, much like an egg. It can be a great option for dining rooms and living areas. Eggshell is the most popular choice amongst customers, as it provides durability with just the right amount of shine.
  • A satin finish is great for kids’ bedrooms, hallways, family rooms, or any other room that is high-traffic. It also makes painted walls simple to clean.

Professional Wall Painting Services

Once you put in the time and effort it takes to select your ideal paint shades and finishes, it’s critical to ensure that your interior wall painting project is in good hands. Hiring professional painters can guarantee that the walls of your home receive expert service. Get started today with a free interior painting quote.