We moved into our current home almost two years ago. The house was built in 1996 and updates have and are continuing to be made. Since we were not opposed to painting ourselves, the first assignment was to say bye bye to the "Friendly Beige." It was literally everywhere besides the foyer and dining room. At times, the beige possessed a pinkish hue and it was gross. We are almost rid of every hint of beige-close, so close.
When it comes to paint colors, I'm soooo indecisive because in my opinion there's just too many options. I fall into a stupor staring at the color displays at Home Depot and Lowes. Then somehow, twenty paint chips end up in my bag. It was only after completing two decor projects for Nicholas' nursery (comprised solely of paint chips) that I became aware of my "hoarding" problem. Oops!
I'm not an interior designer by any means, but here are 4 useful tips when choosing your perfect colors.
1. Know your personal style.
Start by creating your own mood or inspiration board. Pin rooms, colors, ideas, vignettes, and basically anything that you really love. Pinterest and Houzz are great tools for this or just grab some books and magazines. I drool over everything Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, Restoration Hardware, and Dot & Bo. Over time, you'll notice what style you naturally gravitate towards. So far, I'm contemporary (not modern) and traditional with a love for all things nautical, craftsman, and modern farmhouse. Weird I know, but I'll have to share with you some of our rooms. The goal is to pin point the ambiance and functionality desired for your space. Most all of our paint colors fall into the gray family, because I love gray. Will this change in 5-10 years? Most likely, but I'll worry about that later.
2. Keep the color palette cohesive.
Looking back on our first home, the colors were very scattered. Despite my best efforts, the rooms were each a different color and it lacked flow. The whole designer-homey feel that I so desired just wasn't there. As previously mentioned, almost all of our paint colors are gray with green or blue undertones. In order to create a sense of cohesion, I recommend choosing 4-5 coordinating colors that you wouldn't mind repeating in several rooms throughout the home. You can always bring in an accent color and/or lighten or tint the core colors to add some variation. Draw a little sketch of all your rooms and play around with different colors. YoungHouseLove.com provides a great example. (Aside: I wish this blog was still running.) Check out this great color pallete at http://theinspiredroom.net/paint-colors/. I'm head over heels for every single one of these colors!
3. Get a sample and put it up! And don't stress.
I have more $3 Behr paint samples that I'd care to admit, but physically placing the paint on your wall is a must. The lighting changes throughout the day causing the color to change. If you don't want to commit to placing it on the wall, paint a white cork board (Dollar Tree) and place it in the space. I was always frustrated when the paint on the wall looked nothing like the swatch. Grrrrr... Save yourself the headache and try it out first. You will not regret it. And remember, don't stress-it's just paint.
4. Hire a professional if needed.
This right here saved us a lot of frustration and time. We had several factors that made choosing one color for our open concept kitchen and family room a challenge. For example, different lighting in both rooms, a large open space, and outdated oak kitchen cabinets. Thankfully, my neighbor referred a great local interior designer. One too many taupe greenish-olive samples, that resembled toothpaste, had been slapped on my walls. Needless to say, I was thrilled that she provided several options and her services did not break the bank. The family room and dining room are now painted Universal Khaki by SW and I couldn't be happier!
These are just a few guidelines that worked for us and we're hoping they can help make your house beautiful. Subscribe by email and please share (only positive uplifting comments) some of your favorite paint colors.
P.S. I'll be posting our home paint colors in the future since we are often asked what they are.
Sincerely,
Maria
3. Get a sample and put it up! And don't stress.
I have more $3 Behr paint samples that I'd care to admit, but physically placing the paint on your wall is a must. The lighting changes throughout the day causing the color to change. If you don't want to commit to placing it on the wall, paint a white cork board (Dollar Tree) and place it in the space. I was always frustrated when the paint on the wall looked nothing like the swatch. Grrrrr... Save yourself the headache and try it out first. You will not regret it. And remember, don't stress-it's just paint.
4. Hire a professional if needed.
This right here saved us a lot of frustration and time. We had several factors that made choosing one color for our open concept kitchen and family room a challenge. For example, different lighting in both rooms, a large open space, and outdated oak kitchen cabinets. Thankfully, my neighbor referred a great local interior designer. One too many taupe greenish-olive samples, that resembled toothpaste, had been slapped on my walls. Needless to say, I was thrilled that she provided several options and her services did not break the bank. The family room and dining room are now painted Universal Khaki by SW and I couldn't be happier!
These are just a few guidelines that worked for us and we're hoping they can help make your house beautiful. Subscribe by email and please share (only positive uplifting comments) some of your favorite paint colors.
P.S. I'll be posting our home paint colors in the future since we are often asked what they are.
Sincerely,
Maria
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