4 Tips To Pick The Perfect Paint Color

Picking the perfect paint color is stressful! Looking at endless 1 inch paint chips is enough to make you go cross-eyed. Sometimes starting the process is the hardest part. Here are 4 tips to pick the perfect paint color.

Start your color choice with these four tips and you’re sure to land on a durable, matched color you’ll love.

Try Textiles

Rather than use the textiles of the room to wrap up your project, start with them. Find a fabric that you like and work your paint colors from there. A pillow or rug can be a great inspiration for the room. Plus, as an added benefit, you’ll know your room is coordinated, before you even start.

Keep in mind a patterned item will make a good starting point. Not only does it allow for several color options, it matches in accents and furniture colors. Paint stores can mix the perfect matching shade from your item. It’s easier to match paint to a material than the other way around.

Transition Colors

Choose your color based on the room colors around it. Without closing a door, the chances of seeing another room are very high. Take that into consideration when choosing the colors. Eyes need a break sometimes. A busy home can feel overwhelming and like there is no room to breathe.

Don’t try to do too much with your design and scheme. Each room can be distinctive, but cohesion and rest space is important. The colors from room to room should create a flow and harmony between the styles of each room. Not all rooms need to be an off white, but at the same time a charcoal room transitioning to brick might be a bit much. This should be taken into consideration when choosing.

Look for Light

A color can be vibrant or dull depending on the amount and kind of light in the room. A wonderful pink can be overwhelming to the eyes with overhead lighting. A warm greige can disappear into nothing with a light natural light.

Test your colors by painting poster board sized samples and placing them around the room at different parts of the day. Have a look at them from other rooms, under different light sources. This will give you complete confidence in your choice of hue.

Don’t Forget Finish

Choosing an appropriate finish is almost as important as the color. Different finishes provide different looks and durability levels.

Flat finishes are a matte option. The colors underneath tend to look more sophisticated and modern. This finish will not clean well. Flat is best avoided in mudrooms, bathrooms and kitchens.

Egg Shell finish has a low shine and luster. It’s decorative and regal. This is best suited for a room like the dining room. It gives a bit of formality to a room that doesn’t regularly need the walls wiped down.

Satin finish is the most durable finish with a bit of shine. The shine protects the paint under it. It’s a great option for high traffic but not sloppy rooms. Think of it for a hallway.

Semi-gloss is a subtle shine but also easily cleaned. It will repel residue that might stain other rooms. It’s usually good for use in rooms of wet, like entryways and bathrooms.

High-gloss provides the most durable paint finish available. It’s a polished and finished look that can be completely scrubbed down. Choose this for a messy nursery or a kitchen.