When it comes to interior design, most people believe once you’ve decided on a color palette, you should pick a paint color. Then once the walls are painted, you should go shopping for the furniture, flooring, window treatments and accessories. While starting the decorating process with certain colors in mind can be helpful, picking a paint color isn’t always the best place to begin.
Prepare for The Unexpected
We’ve all done it. We go out shopping for one thing and come home with something completely different. While browsing through your local furniture gallery, you discover a statement piece that would make a great focal point for your room. You just have to have it, but unfortunately, it won’t work with the color you painted your walls. Now what do you?
Furniture is a substantial investment and chances are you will be living with it for a long time. You want to purchase a piece of furniture because you love it, especially a piece that will be the focal point of the room. If you walk away from that piece because it doesn’t work with the paint color you’ve chosen, you may find yourself regretting it later. Unless you’ve decided on white walls, committing to a paint color or even a color palette before shopping for the other elements of your design plan could limit your options.
If you are redecorating, consider the existing items in the room that you intend to keep. These can help guide you in choosing a color, including your paint color. If you are starting from scratch with your interior design, make paint color one of the last things you pick. Paint can be mixed to create thousands of different hues, but there may be only one sofa or carpet that you really love. Let that be the inspiration for your color palette. Once all the elements of the room are chosen, pick a paint color that coordinates with them.
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Paint Color
When you are ready to start painting, here are some tips to help you pick the color that best suits your interior design.
Don’t choose your paint color in the aisle at your local hardware store. Take your paint samples home. They will look different in the lighting conditions of your home than they do in the industrial lighting typically used in stores.
Color is affected by what surrounds it. When comparing different paint samples, don’t put them up against a white wall or surface. This will make the samples appear darker than they really are and could result in making a choice that is too light. To get a better perspective and pick the perfect paint color, compare samples against the other elements in the room like furniture, flooring and window treatments.
Whether you’re just decorating one room or the whole house, make sure the colors flow smoothly throughout your home. It can be visually jarring to experience drastic color changes from room to room. If your home has an open floor plan, stick with one paint color throughout the main floor. Add coordinating accent colors with furniture and accessories to give the open space a cohesive look and feel.
While choosing a paint color is an important part of interior design, leaving this choice until last can help you to make a decision that will complement your design beautifully.
Consider Professional Interior Design
For a whole house or just one room, interior design can be overwhelming for the inexperienced homeowner who is attempting to do it on their own. When taking on a design project, eliminate the stress and have fun with the decorating process. Call (609) 618-2863 today enlist the services of Carolyn.
