Woman's Wonderla

How to Choose the Right Paint Color

When it comes to decorating, choosing paint color can really be a challenge. While you may feel that there are so many choices you're bound to find the right one, you may end up feeling that there are so many choices you don't know where to start!

The tips here will really help you if you feel stumped by this important choice. After all, the paint color will set the tone for the room.

It's great to collect paint chips when planning a room, but hold off making final choices until you've developed an overall room scheme. Paint is available in literally an infinite array of colors and is the most versatile element of your room decor, the easiest to change, and the least expensive. Get ideas but make the final decision after rugs, wallpaper, and fabrics are finalized.

Coordinate Decorating Samples
When you go shopping, you'll need to refer to your fabric, carpet, tile, wallpaper, and trim samples constantly. Be sure to take everything with you wherever you go. No telling where you might see something wonderful.

Really Study the Colors
You'll find clues about the underlying tones of different shades of a color on a full sample strip of coordinated colors. Even if you're not even considering using a darker tone, look at all the colors carefully. Decide if the family of colors is the direction you're headed with your color selection.

Tried and True Formula for Colors
If you're working with a print fabric, you'll probably be happier if you select the coordinating wall paint color from the background of the print. Use the deeper or brighter tones for accents throughout the room or adjacent spaces

Trim it Out
More often than not, you'll select a shade of white or off-white for the moldings, doors, and windows. If you're feeling brave, consider the palest shade of color to coordinate with the walls. For a really striking look, try lighter walls and dark tones or bright color for trim.

Choose the Paint Finish for the Job
Consider which paint finish might be best for your project. Matte or flat finishes hide wall imperfections, but glossier finishes will reflect more light.

Perfect paint and color can make a great difference to your home décor project. Here are some tips for amateur home decorators and professional interior designers that can help them understand the color basics and make paint selection easier:

Alkyd or oil-based paints are good for wood painting and does not leave it sticky in winters but latex or water-based paints dry faster, can be cleaned with soapy water and does not turn yellow easily and is thus, better for walls.

Chosen paint colors may look different in different lights, at daytime and at night. So, you may want to access the look of the room in different lights and according to the function of the room.

Colors can look darker or lighter over a large area depending on the colors of the surroundings and lighting in the room, so keep that in mind while choosing the right tint or shade of the color.

Dark and warm shades make rooms look smaller such as red, orange, yellow and even dark shades of navy blue while light and cool colors make the room look larger and more spacious such as light shades of blue, green and even violet. Best colors for small rooms are white and light and pale neutral colors.

For an open, spacious and airy look in a room with chair rails, paint the portion below the chair rail in a dark shade and the wall above it in a light shade.

Generally, ceilings are painted in pure white, off white and tinted white colors to make them appear high and make the room look open but if ceilings are high enough, one can use medium to dark colors to make the room look cozier as they tend to make the ceiling advance to the eyes of the viewer.

Since colors affect the mood, choose relaxing muted colors for bedrooms and stimulating colors for kitchen and dining room.

Taking furniture, window treatments and accessories of the room into consideration, determine the color scheme of the room.

To add bold dash of colors to the room, use a darker shade to paint the trims than the walls.

To add subtle accents to the room, use a lighter shade to paint your trims.

To calculate the amount of paint you need for a room, multiply the height of the room by its perimeter taking care not to count the doors, windows and archways in the room to calculate its wall space. Then ask the paint stores for the exact amount of paint your will need for the calculated wall space of the room and number of coats you are planning for. Since blue and yellow colors need more coats, you will need more of them, in case you are using them.

To disguise an unattractive trim or achieve a monochromatic, uniform look, paint your trim in the same color as your walls.
To soften the look of a bold color on walls, you can try rag rolling, sponging or color washing the walls using a light muted shade.