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Shocking Blue To Barely Beige: Choosing The Right Interior Paint Shade
Changing the color of a room's walls can transform a room entirely. Even if you have your desired effect clearly in mind, finding that perfect shade can be mind boggling. Perhaps the dizzying spectrum of colors available at hardware stores is enough to make you throw up your hands and settle for the boring tone that already covers your walls. Instead of giving up on finding the right look, take time to learn about colors, their effects, and ways to use them to create unique looks for your home.
- Warm Colors. These are your reds, oranges and yellows; also known as "hard" colors. Generally, warm tones are said to have an enlivening effect on a room, which makes them good candidates for some rooms more than others. Some even believe that warm colors increase appetite. This may be why certain restaurants lay the red on thick. Red-orange is the most extreme of the warm tones. Take a look at a color wheel to find which cool shade complements your chosen warm tone, and choose your decor accessories accordingly.
- Cool Colors. Think breezy; think mellow. These "soft" colors have a calming effect, but this does not necessarily mean that they will put you to sleep. Violets, blue, and greens can be as vibrant as any warm color, though their effect is different. For example, a bold turquoise can be just as bright as lemon yellow even though it invokes sparkling tropical seas rather than sunshine. Whether you choose a warm or cool tone, keep in mind that going too dark can sometimes have the effect of making a room seem smaller than it is.
- Whites. You probably already know this, but not all whites are created equal. There is the mega-bright cotton ball/cloud/paper white, but other shades of white have extremely subtle differences and can have completely different effects. For example, a white tinged with the tiniest bit of yellow will add a different kind of glow to a room than the one you get with a violet white. Keep this in mind if you are searching for the perfect shade of white. Consider the color scheme you have in mind, and bring home swatches of the best shades. This way, you can see how they look within the context of the intended room and view them in the correct light.
- Earth Tones. If you would like a more neutral background before which you display your knack for home decorating, an earth tone may be your best bet. Brown, gray, taupe, and other natural shades can have a simple, elegant effect and give you a lot of room to get creative with textures and other things.
- Textured walls. Stencils and various types of treatments can add real character to your walls, especially if you chose an earth tone. Techniques like using unusual brush strokes, applying paint with a sponge, and layering can produce unique effects.
- Accent walls. Perhaps you cannot live without a certain shade, say bright purple, adorning your walls, yet your roommate or significant other exercises his or her veto power on the idea. Painting one or two walls of a room a bright color will not be as shocking as an entire room painted in a dramatic hue, and is actually a creative way to add color to a room without overdoing it. It also gives you the opportunity to experiment with complementary colors and other effects.
The right shade, the right effect
As you pore over the extremely vast spectrum of colors, many of which are different only in the smallest ways, keep in mind your desired look. It is a good idea to have a clear picture of what you want before venturing out. That way you save time and are more likely to find exactly what you want.
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