Things You'll Need:
- 2" foam paintbrush
- plastic sheeting or dropcloth
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Step 1
First decide what you want from a color: something that stands out? something that blends in? are you trying to match artwork or furniture? are there any colors you or your housemates don't like? Look through magazines or books that entice you, especially a room that has similar furniture or colors to your room.
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Step 2
If you have an idea after this, and you have something in your home that's similar to that color, take it with you to a local paint store. If not, take any magazine or book picture with you to the store.
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Step 3
Go to the paint swatch section of your local store. Compare them to your inspiration color. If you find something that matches, it's probably not the right color, and you probably want to use a color that's one step lighter on the color wheel/swatch. Many colors end up being overpowering when they're stretched across a whole room.
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Step 4
Ask a clerk at the store if they have a 2 oz sample size of the color you want. It's a good idea not to buy a whole gallon of paint when you haven't seen it on the wall.
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Step 5
Go home and use your small brush with the paint on the wall in a small section near elements that you're trying to contrast or match with in the room (near a wood desk, or a particular piece of artwork, couch, etc.). If it looks good, you've picked the right color!
Comments
johnny777 said
on 10/21/2009 You can virtually paint your home at colorjive.com. Great to try new colors.
vintage said
on 9/20/2009 sample paint is a good idea, great article