Interior Design and Paint Color Advice

It's always a good idea to collect paint chips and samples when planning a room, but hold off making final choices until you've developed an overall room scheme. Paint is available myriad colors, tints, shades, and tones. It’s the easiest element to change in a room, and the least expensive. After area rugs, window treatments, and furniture are finalized, make your decision on paint color.

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. More often than not, you'll select a shade of white or off-white for the moldings, baseboards, and trim.

Consider which sheen might be best for your project. Flat sheens hide wall imperfections while satin, eggshell, and glossier sheens will reflect more light. Be cognizant of how much natural and/or incandescent light is in the room. Also be aware that while a flat sheen is great at hiding the imperfections of your drywall, it is also the least durable.

Colors are often referred to as "warm" or "cool." Oranges, reds, and pinks are considered warm colors. "Cool" is ascribed to blues, greens and violets. Similarly, winter sunlight and fluorescent lighting are considered cool while summer sunlight and incandescent lighting are warm. Knowing the theory behind color can help you select the right tone for the ambience you're trying to achieve. See my blog post from last October to learn more about light reflectance value and the impacts of natural vs. artificial light. Understanding how the human eye perceives color can go a long way in guiding your decisions.

If you want to achieve a perfect match or find a truly unique color, your local paint store can provide custom color mixing. You can bring in a fabric swatch, painting, or other color reference, and have a paint color created as a perfect match. It’s truly as simple as a quick scan and a computer-generated formula.

When you think that you've really chosen your perfect color, buy a pint of paint to do a test patch. Most paint stores will even provide you with a free sample. Paint a 2-ft to 4-ft square directly on your wall. Look at it during the day and during the evening. See how the color appears at sunrise and sunset. If it just doesn’t look right, don't get discouraged. Get another sample and try again. Sometimes I’ll apply two or three test colors before making a final decision.

After you have a painted wall sample, scrutinize the color you're testing and whether it is adversely impacted by other colors in a room. Again, understanding color theory and how the human eye perceives color will be a helpful. Depending on the amount of light, the type of lighting, the light reflectance value (LRV) of the paint, your test color may get completely “washed out” by the other colors in the room. It may even appear to be a completely different color at different times of the day.

For helpful paint advice, contact your full-service painting contractor. Tell him about your project and what you hope to achieve. Ask which paint products are recommended for various applications and why. A painting professional will be more than happy to share the information (as well as his opinion!). Ask about specialty paints such as low-odor/low-V.O.C, stain-killing primers, washable paint, and more.

Wet paint always looks different from dry paint. Don't panic when you first see the paint applied to the wall. Let it dry. A new bold color may take some time to grow on you. After your furniture, area rugs, and wall treatments are put back in place, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised to see how well your new color harmonizes with these elements.

Contact us today to see what we can do for you!

1496 Colington Rd.

Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

800.663.4944 / 252.441.8224

252.449.8729 Fax