Five Easy Steps to Choosing a Paint Color

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We get it. Choosing a paint color can be hard. Shuffling through hundreds of paint swatches that all end up looking the same after staring at them for too long can be exhausting. Here are some factors to consider that will hopefully make your next painting project a little bit easier!

 1. The Look and the Feel

Think about the look and feel you are hoping to achieve. Considering the overall mood that you want your space to have is essential when choosing the right paint color. Think about how you want guests to feel when they enter the room. Do you want a warm and cozy feel or something fresh and airy? Once you have this established, you can start to narrow down which hue family to work with. Warm colors often execute the cozy, welcoming feel, while cooler colors can give a fresh, calming feel. It all depends on the mood you are looking to have.

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2. The Style

Consider the home’s style. Looking at which colors are present in other rooms in your home is important for several reasons. First of all, a well-decorated home is one that has harmony and flow. So, to maintain that flow you need to consider what the current color scheme is in your home. What is the style of your home’s interior? And from there you can choose something that correlates with the rest of the home. Also, it is important to look at the surrounding rooms because you don’t want to end up with a paint color that looks so similar to a neighboring room that it looks like you tried to match the color and missed. There needs to be a noticeable difference between the color you choose and the colors already present, otherwise it would be more convenient to just paint a room one of your preexisting colors.

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3. The Color

Pull a color from your decor. Taking note of the colors of the pieces that will be in the room you are painting and using it to help make your paint color decision will help tie everything together. If there is a rug or a throw pillow you know will be in the space you are painting, look at that next to your paint swatches. This will help you choose a color that will complement and accentuate your furniture and accessories, as well as create that harmony and flow you want your room to have.

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4. The Light

Consider how much light the space gets. This is a very important factor to consider as the amount of lighting can make or break your space, depending on the color you choose. When a room doesn’t get much light, it can make it harder for lower-contrast colors to be seen. A very light blue or green can end up just looking white if there isn’t enough natural light present. If your space falls into this, try opting for a more saturated color or even a dark color to create contrast. Also, paint colors look different in different lighting. Just because a color looks good in the store or in one of your existing rooms, doesn’t mean that it will look the same in your space. Lighting can change everything, so it is important to consider this when picking out your paint colors.

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5. Trendy or Timeless

Decide if you want to follow a trend or choose something timeless and classic. When choosing your color, it is important to note whether the color will be out of style in a few years. Will someone look at your space and know exactly what trend you were following? Will you want to paint this space again in the near future? Is the color something that you will be tired of in the coming years? Considering these can help you stray away from making a decision based on today’s styles and avoid ending up with a color that will eventually be outdated.

Hopefully these steps can make your decision-making a little bit easier when choosing your paint colors! If you are still struggling despite these tips, consider looking into scheduling a color consultation. At Color Confident Home, we consider all these factors and more in order to help you choose the right paint color the first time!

 Color Confidently Yours,

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Stuck Choosing a Paint Color?

Choosing a paint color

“I’m stuck choosing a paint color! Should I to turn to my painter for a recommendation?” Choosing paint colors is a daunting task. Upon first thought, asking your painter may seem like a good plan of action. But beware of painter-recommended color troubles!  Painters are not necessarily trained in color and are very busy. They are skilled in painting but can’t give their full attention required to choose the right colors for your home. “So who is the best person to help me choose colors I will love?” you may ask. Lili Englehart, assistant color consultant, explains why our processes at Color Confident Home are a better, more accurate option. Using a Certified Color Expert will leave you feeling secure in your color choices before they go up on a wall.

Painter-Recommended Color Troubles

To begin, painters usually recommend what happens to be popular in their most recent jobs. As of right now, those colors tend to be neutrals, mainly grays. Your painter has good intentions, but you may run into painter-recommended color troubles! Although painters work with color in their day-to-day jobs, they may not be up-to-date on current color trends. What is in? What is passe? More importantly, they may not be able to predict what the next upcoming trends will be, and which ones will soon be fading out. For example, it is predicted within the next few years the gray trend will phase out, and more colorful schemes will trend. However, if you want to sell in the near future, it is best to choose more timeless and classic colors.  Someone who specializes in color trends, like a Certified Color Expert, studies the most current and future color trends. With us by your side, you’ll have more confidence to choose the right colors for YOU!

Pocket-size paint chips

Stuck with Pocket-sized Paint Chips?

“Why does the color on my wall look so different from the pocket-sized paint chips or the walls in my friend’s house?” Even though a paint chip or a painter-recommended color can look great in one home, it might not look so great in another. First, a color from a small paint chip or splotches painted on the wall will not give you a realistic idea of what it will look like. Color gets lighter and brighter on a large area. More importantly, the distortion may be caused by uncoordinated hue families. To the untrained and even well-trained eye, it is difficult to determine the specific hue family of a color. Special tools that scientifically analyze color data give us accurate results from which to choose colors. Thus we coordinate the hue families with your existing furnishings and fixed finishes to create harmony and flow in your color scheme. Check out our 3 Easy Steps to confident color selection.

Lighting Enlightenment

Lighting Enlightenment for Choosing Color

Another important factor to consider when choosing colors is lighting know-how. Not all painters are aware how lighting can affect color. Lighting can make or break the look of a color once it is up on the wall. Different types of lighting such as warm, cool, fluorescent, and daylight all change the appearance of a color. For instance, grays are particularly tricky. In one lighting condition such as cool light, a gray could appear to have a hint of purple. The exact same gray in warm lighting conditions could have a hint of yellow. Even the direction from which natural light comes into a room can affect how a color will look. It is best to view a color in the same conditions in which it will regularly appear in your home, including lighting. At Color Confident Home, we show you a tried-and-true testing process to ensure you can accurately envision the colors we recommend. Confidently choose the right colors before you paint your walls!

Choosing a Paint Color with Confidence

Painting is an expensive endeavour. Choosing a paint color with confidence allows you to live with a color you love without the expense of repainting. A painter could get lucky, but playing the odds on a big job like painting your home is risky and unnecessary. Rather than being stuck choosing a paint color, Color Confident Home can help you choose colors that will suit the needs of your home. With Color Confident Home’s specific, scientific color data, larger paint swatches, and a foolproof color testing technique, you will feel more confident. Our mission is to help you choose the right colors the first time!

Color Expert at the new PaintStop in Ferndale

Color Confident Home

For exterior and interiors, it’s important to select paint and materials at the same time (Photo by Color Confident Home)

Color Expert at PaintStop in Ferndale

Why hire a color expert? Come talk to Cheryl Adams, color expert, from Color Confident Home at the Grand Opening of the new Benjamin Moore store in Ferndale!

Grand Opening of New Benjamin Moore Store

Learn more about color on Friday, May 31st from 11am-1pm at PaintStop 23245 WOODWARD AVE, FERNDALE, MI 48220 conveniently located just north of Nine Mile Rd. (248) 965-3125

You can learn about the process for choosing the right colors the first time for your interiors and exteriors. Find out why choosing paint colors must be done at the same time as interior materials. Create harmony by selecting tile, countertops, backsplash, flooring, carpeting and new furnishings at the same time as paint colors. Coordinate your exterior materials by choosing shingles, siding, stone, brick, and pavers at the same time as paint colors, too.

Register for a Free One-room Consultation!

You can also register for a chance to win a one-room color consultation! For more information on color or to find out about color consultation packages, call 248-509-4720 or click here.

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