How to Choose Paint for Interior Rooms- Part 1

Here are 5 expert suggestions for selecting interior paint colors that can give your house a rich individuality.

You’ve therefore renovated your home expertly, repairing any structural issues while keeping the unique architectural characteristics of each space. But something is still missing. That something is most likely colour, the renovator’s hidden weapon.

Did you know that depending on how it contrasts with the walls, crown molding can make the ceiling appear higher or lower? Or the fact that a clever use of color may transform one space into a bustling meeting spot and another into a tranquil area for reading in peace?

Color is utilized to help define interiors and provide focal points in largely featureless rooms in today’s open-plan houses, where the kitchen, living room, and dining room are frequently one enormous space. Of course, the challenge is in deciding which paint colors to use and where to place them.

How To Choose Paint Colors in Interior

1. Design a colour scheme that complements the furniture in your house

It makes sense to take Bonnie Krims’ guidance into account in a world when you can get thousands of colors for only $25 per gallon.

The only colours in the paint spectrum are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, which Colour Theory 101 students are frequently taught to remember by the mnemonic device “Roy G. Biv.” Krims says, “Always remember that while there are thousands of paint chips at the store, there are only seven colours in the paint spectrum.” “I always advise getting rid of a few even before you visit the paint store.”

Here are her 4-step, foolproof process for picking colours:

1. Pick three colors from an existing item in your home to start. Take a pillow from the family room sofa, your favorite tie or scarf, a painting, or anything else that makes you feel at ease or is meaningful to you, and bring it to the paint shop, advises Krims. Since each sample strip normally comprises six paint colors, if you can get three sample strips in those colors, you’ll have 15 to 18 colors available right away.

2. The next step is to decide which of the three paint colors you want for your wall and reserve the other two for usage in fabric or furniture around the space.

3. Take the same initial three colour sample strips and choose a different colour to choose the colours for nearby rooms.

4. Finally, pick a fourth accent color from the list: “Pour a touch of that color into every room in the house—through a cushion, plate, or artwork. The spaces are connected in this way.

2. Decide on the Finish to Create an Appealing Visual Effect

After choosing your colours, think about the finish you’ll be applying. The traditional wisdom has long held that a satin finish, also known as eggshell, is preferable for walls because it is scrubbable and doesn’t highlight flaws, even if today’s flat paints have greater stain resistance. It was once believed that semi-gloss and high-gloss finishes were best reserved for trim, where they could highlight the curves of a moulding profile or the panels of a door.

But nowadays, finishes are often employed to give the entire wall an aesthetic aspect. “When the light hits the walls, it creates a corduroy or velvet effect,” claims Doty Horn. To achieve this look, paint one wall in a flat or satin finish and the neighboring wall in a semi-gloss, both in the same color. To generate a matte and sheen contrast, you can paint the ceiling semi-gloss and the walls flat. The ceiling will appear higher as it becomes more light-reflective. Remember that the shine and attention you attract to the surface increase with increasing gloss. When used intelligently, color and sheen may draw attention to the best features of your décor.

3. Match The Color To The Feeling You Want In The Room

Paint industry specialists have a slight fascination with the psychology of color. Many people advise basing your color decision, at least in part, on how the area will be utilized and the vibe you want to create.

Apartmenttherapy.com co-founder and editor Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan advises painting public spaces (dining rooms, kitchens, family and living areas) warm colours like daffodil-yellow, coral or cranberry and giving private spaces (home offices, powder rooms, bedrooms) cooler tones like sage-green, violet or sky-blue.

Remember that one person’s welcome-home orange may be another person’s scramble signal when it comes to emotional impact.

One person quotes Debbie Zimmer as saying that “red will increase your appetite—and your blood pressure; blues and greens are naturelike and calming; purple is loved by children but not necessarily by adults; yellow is inviting; and orange can be welcoming but also a little irritating, depending on the tint, tone, or shade.”

Behr’s research suggests that yellow can stimulate the brain, so it can be worth considering for study spaces; however, stay away from yellow in beds, where the main objective is to unwind. Instead, experiment with these restful hues in your bedroom to improve your sleep.

4. Know Your Whites

There is an astounding diversity of whites. Whites that are pure and “clean” are made without coloured undertones. These are frequently utilized on ceilings to create a neutral field overhead and are preferred by designers wishing to display artwork or furniture.

The majority of other whites have undertones that are either cool (green, blue, or grey) or warm (yellow, rust, pink, or brownish). According to Mary Rice with Behr, “Use warmer whites in rooms without a lot of natural light, or to make larger spaces seem cosier.”

In contrast, cool whites can facilitate space opening. Try out a few at once to determine which one complements the other colors in the space the best.

5. Create Flow in Open Plan Spaces

On the ground floor, continuity is crucial, but color can assist “zone” a large open space by, for example, dividing the dining area from the TV room. There’s no need to settle with just one color, or even just one palette that is either all warm (reds, oranges, and yellows) or all cool (blues, greens, and stark whites).

However, “by using muted, dustier values, there’s a better chance the colors you choose will flow into one another,” advises Tami Ridgeway, a color stylist for Valspar. She advises leaning towards colors that have been slightly muted by grey; these hues are frequently seen in historical palettes. Bright colors can be used as highlights sparingly in furniture, floor coverings, and even flowers.