As I write this, I’m sitting in a room with paint swatches all over the walls. We are in the midst of room shuffling in our house and our current office will soon become our twin girls’ room, but before that can happen, it desperately needs to be painted.
Painting makes such a huge impact in a room. It can be a gorgeous, subtle backdrop to a well decorated space that invites you in to stay a while. Or it can be a stark eye sore that leaves you begging for sunglasses, or at least an explanation on why this color was ever considered a good idea. How do you avoid the latter? How do you avoid picking the wrong paint color? How do you even start? It’s a process, one I’m currently experiencing in my own home. As I go back and forth between my two main picks that I’ve been eyeing for a few weeks now, I thought I’d share with you my go to tips on how to choose a paint color and make this decision process more simple.
Design by Orlando Soria, Photography by Zeke Ruelas
Choose your paint color LAST
Yes, you read that right. We’ve all heard that paint is an inexpensive way to make a huge impact in a room (and it’s true!). But often times, this is the first thing people do when they decide to decorate a room. It generally looks like this: they go to the paint store, pick up a few paint swatches, pick out a color and paint. Then they struggle finding furnishings and decor because nothing coordinates perfectly with the paint color they fell in love with, and then they end up with decor they’re not thrilled about.
Save yourself the time and trouble, choose your paint color last. There are so many more paint colors out there than there are fabrics, furniture, and accessories. Making a decision on your paint color first limits yourself on ALL of the other decor in your space, so don’t jump the gun, wait until you have at least most of the room decor decided on.
Consider undertones
Stay with me here, this sounds more difficult than it is. There are very few true colors, most will have undertones of another color. You want to ensure the undertone of your paint color is in the same family as your decor. Say for instance your color scheme in your room has cool blues and grays, and you want to paint the walls a soft gray as a backdrop. There are thousands of grays, but cool grays will compliment your decor better than warm grays in this scenario.
If you’re unsure of the undertone, look at the darkest color on the bottom of the paint swatch, that should give you a hint. If that doesn’t work, put it against something that is pure white.
Make the house flow
Generally, your entire home should reflect similar undertones, either cool or warm, to flow nicely. I tend to decorate rooms as if the adjoining room is a part of the same room. Keep this in mind when choosing paint colors as well, you want the entire house to flow well from room to room so pick a whole house palette that compliments each other.
Not every room in your home needs to have different color paint on the walls, there is no harm in finding a good neutral color and sticking with it throughout the house. You can always add different colors with accents and accessories; there’s no rule saying the color in the room needs to come from the walls.
Find a jumping off point
Choose a main focal point or inspiration item in the room: a rug, painting, fabric, etc. and use that as a jumping off point. What colors do you see and want to highlight? That’s a good place to start on choosing your wall color. What would be a good backdrop for that particular item? If you can, take a fabric swatch to the paint store when selecting paint chips to take home.
Online search
Once you’ve started to narrow your choices down, search Google and Pinterest for the manufacturer and color name of your choices to view images of rooms painted in that color. Keep in mind that lighting is different in the image versus your own home, and your computer screen will make the color appear a little different. I always do this after I’ve narrowed it down to a few colors just to see how it looks in other rooms with decor.
Buy paint samples
I know this sounds like an annoying, unnecessary step but trust me on this. It’s worth it to buy a couple of samples than to make a decision based on a small paint chip and regret the decision after the fact. Some paint companies even have sample decals you can order and just stick on the wall.
Be sure to look at the swatch vertically (if the color you’re choosing is for the walls), not laying down on a table or on the floor. The color will look completely different. Also be sure to separate the swatches quite a bit so you’re viewing them separately, not just comparing.
Paint on multiple walls and live with the swatches for a few days. View them during different times of day, at night, when it’s cloudy and when it’s sunny.
A few last things to keep in mind when choosing paint colors…
Because walls reflect each other (especially if it’s a glossier sheen), paint always appears brighter or darker on the walls once a room is painted.
Spend some time making a good decision, but don’t obsess about it. I know it’s easy to do, but if you find yourself going around in circles just go with your instincts.
Ask around for recommendations, you’re not the first person who has gone through this process so chances are you’ll find colors that have been tried and true.