How to Select Wall Colors
Wall paint colors dramatically impact the mood and look of a building interior. It is important to select colors that add to the look of a room, are a good lightness or darkness for a room, match furniture in the room and facilitate a comfortable environment. Colors can affect the way people feel, so correct wall colors are very important in living and working spaces. Keep a few things in mind to help ensure good wall color choices for any room. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
How to Select Wall Colors
-
1
Imagine how the room should feel. Take a minute and think about the purpose for painting the room. Is it a fast-paced work environment that needs to look professional and have energizing colors? Or is it a bedroom that might be nicer with soothing tones on the walls? Try to get a strong idea of the desired environment of the room before jumping in and choosing colors.
-
2
Consider the paint finish. Marthastewart.com recommends considering paint finish as a first step in choosing paint. Paints come in flat (matte), semigloss, satin, eggshell, and gloss finishes, which all have different looks and qualities. Depending on the room purpose, cleaning may or may not be a factor in paint choice. For example, you might wash bathroom walls more than dining room walls, so choose an easier finish to clean for bathrooms.
-
-
3
Think about colors that will match the desired environment. After deciding what the room will be used for and how it should feel, it is important to think of general color categories that fit this theme. If the aim is to create a relaxing and soothing environment in a bedroom, cool blue or green might come to mind. A bright breakfast dining room might require a sunny yellow while a more formal dining room might have a darker yellow or dramatic red. If there is trim in the room, decide whether to paint it the same color as the rest of the room, traditional white or another complementing color.
-
4
Look at paint brands online. This step is optional, but it can save time to have an idea of paint brands before going to the store. Some people might prefer environmentally friendly paint or paint with minimal fumes, so look into brands online with these options before heading to the store. If cost is a factor, check out which paints are cheapest online. Looking into paint brands online can make stores with tons of brands and choices less overwhelming because it is quicker and easier to go to a specific section and just focus on colors than it is to look all over the store and compare brands as well as colors. Some websites, like Behr.com even allow you to group and compare several paint colors online, so you can just walk into the store and ask for those specific colors.
-
5
Go to the store to get paint samples, and be sure to pick out several testers. Sometimes, paint will look different depending on the lighting of a room, so get several variations of the general finish and color that seems best for the room. It is a good idea to get a couple shades darker and lighter than the shade that immediately seems best as well as slight variations on the color. For example, pick out blue and slightly greenish blue in several different shades of lightness.
-
6
Get out your paintbrush and test the paint samples. Marthastewart.com recommends putting several test patches on walls. Go ahead and paint big patches of all the testers on walls in the room. Do not worry about having big paint spots because the spots will not show through the new paint once it is finished. Try to look at each test patch, and imagine how the room would look if it were all that color. Take into consideration how well the paint will match the furniture in the room, and pick the best paint.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Consider room size and how dark or light a paint is. Sometimes, a dark color might match furniture well and add to the environment of the room, but darker colors also make rooms look smaller. Avoid super dark paint for small rooms.
Paint fumes can cause headaches and health problems. If a paint has a strong smell or warning label about fumes, open windows and doors in the room while testing out the paint samples. According to the Sherwin-Williams paint site, it is especially important to be careful of fumes when removing or sanding old paint before new colors are chosen. Sanding old lead paint off walls creates unhealthy dust and fumes. It is important to wear a protective mask and ventilate the room while sanding lead paint.
