How to Pick an Accent Color

For either your interior or exterior project, a reasonable question to ask is how do you pick an accent color? Do you want it to be bright or neutral? Are there any hard rules to help narrow down the options? In this post, we are going to go over the most important things to know when picking an accent color for your home. The professionals at CertaPro South Denver can offer all types of assistance from color consultation to painting.

• Decide if you want a to stay neutral or go bold – this is a choice that only you can make. It might depend on your style, current home colors, environment, or preferences. With neutral colors you can stay in the same family and just go a little lighter or darker. For a bold accent color, you can pick something vibrant or bright and have it contrast with a more neutral palette.
• Pick complementary shades – even though accent colors should be different than your existing shades – don’t go with too much contrast. You don’t want a bright bold color with stark white walls. You can have a gradient to blend the shades together and it’s also a great idea to either stick to warm or cool tones. Mixing too many different shades together can cause a visual conflict which isn’t what you want from an accent color.
• Utilize Samples – this is an important step. You want to try out a few different colors in your space or on your exterior. Painting small samples in different areas and exposed to different lighting is ideal. That way you can see the way the color will look in your space before making a commitment.
• Don’t overdo it – Accent colors in a room or on the exterior should only appear 1-3 times. This means an accent wall or molding in a room. For the exterior, accent colors can be used on the shutters or windows, doorways or on the door itself. You don’t want to apply the accent color more than this because then it will become a primary color. This will eliminate any contrast that you are trying to create.
• Have Options – If you’re not ready to go all out on an accent color just pick a small space to commit to or only do trim. For a semi-permanent option you could try temporary wallpaper or just trying a couple shades lighter or darker. Just know that it’s only paint and it can be repainted if you don’t like it. It’s important to know all your options before you start painting.

As you can see there are many factors into picking an accent color. If you stick to these steps you’ll be able to find the perfect color for your project. The team at CertaPro of South Denver has experience with all types of painting and would be happy to help you achieve your vision. To set up a free estimate please call 303-346-9151

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