One of
the biggest fears
homeowners have when improving their homes is choosing paint colors. That fear
is why the majority of homes still have plain white or off–white walls. If you
don’t have an understanding of how colors work in different settings, it can be
difficult to make successful color choices. Here are some guidelines that
hopefully will give you the courage to break out of your plain vanilla box.
Before you choose any color, you are going to need to
determine what existing features in the room will be permanent, such as the
finish on your cabinets, tile, or the material on a fireplace. These are
features that you will want to take into consideration when choosing colors.
If the cabinets have a yellow undertone, make sure the paint
color you choose works well with that hue. If you have already furnished this
room, it is very important that the paint colors you choose complement the
fabrics and wood finishes of these items as well. The colors and patterns in
your upholstery ç or even just an accent pillow √ can be a great place to
find color inspiration.
Now that you have a general understanding of what you have
to work with, let’s choose the colors.
There are a few color tips with which you will want to familiarize
yourself:
—
Light, cool, colors typically make a
room appear larger. For smaller spaces,
this can be a great illusion.
— Dark or bright colors work well in
large rooms that lack definition or intimacy.
—
If the woods and fabrics in your home
have more golden yellow, warm red and ivory tones, then you will want to stay
with the warm hues.
—
The same applies to cool hues, or any
colors that have crisp, clean, bright tones.
Trying to match warm tones with cool tones is how many color
mistakes are made, so pay close attention to this. Keep these two tones separate, or leave it to
the professionals. If a color in an
opposite tone than what you have been using is in a room behind a closed door
(i.e., a bedroom) and it works with what you have in that room, then I say, “Go
for it!” Otherwise, don’t risk it.
Please always make up samples of your color choices, and
don’t rely on the itty-bitty color chip to be exact. Light colors will be
brighter and stronger when painted on a wall, and a dark color will appear even
darker. Instead of painting your samples directly on the wall, I recommend
painting two coats on a white poster board so that you have a portable, and large color sample. You can easily hang this
sample with painter’s tape anywhere in the room. Remember that the color you
choose may look different at various times of the day and night, as it can with
different man-made light sources, so take time choosing your final colors.
You can create flow from one room to another by using a
common color palette. You can slightly alter a color’s shade and hue with a
white or ivory base. Depending on the tones you are working with, you will get
subtle color changes without using different colors.
Also emphasize crown molding and other architectural
features with contrasting paint that is lighter or darker than the wall color.
This will give your rooms more drama. You can write to me with your design
questions at mnidesign@msn.com.