5 Tips to Help You Choose the Perfect Interior Color

Choosing an interior paint color can be a daunting and overwhelming task- after all, no one wants to spend the time, money, and physical energy painting a room (or even a whole house) only to be less than thrilled with how the color looks in your home. Often times, this significant decision comes after the hard work of moving into a new space or doing some interior redesigning to your home. While there are many elements that go into creating a space that perfectly showcases your desired style, paint color is arguably one of the most critical factors. In fact, tone accounts for about 60% of our initial response to any space, so we urge you to shape your area to be welcoming, calming and downright homey!

Anyone browsing the paint sample section of their local paint store will realize quickly that there’s a head-spinning amount of colors to choose from. Sure, you may know that you want a neutral beige for the living space, but then you have to figure out which beige out of dozens, if not hundreds of samples! Then there are the different finishes, varying dry times, different types of coating, and everything that goes into making sure your perfect color turns out exactly how you wanted.

As experts who know a thing or two about interior painting, and the importance of choosing the perfect color the first time, we’ve compiled a few of our best trade-tips to help you pick the perfect color, that will help you be satisfied with your choice, for years to come.

5 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Colors for Your Home:

Start with what you’ve got.

Often, you will be beginning your home project with some items of furniture that you want to utilize in the given space. If so, start narrowing down your color choices to best compliment the furniture that you already have, or what you are planning on using in each room. It is also wise to consider what you’d like to be the focal point of the space, and this is different from just the furniture standing out, this could be a painting, vase, the wall color or an antique. It is best to go bold if you decide to use your furniture or wall color so that there are not as many factors competing for attention in one space. Another easy way to find your color scheme is a swatch of some fabrics that you plan to base the style of the room off? Print fabric is among the easiest ways to choose an interior paint color and makes it easy to be sure your vision is portrayed perfectly when getting the paint mixed. Throw pillows, bedding, and even table linens can provide you with inspiration and a palette to start with. Pro Tip: You can draw inspiration for an accent wall by pulling the boldest colors of the print.

 

Create an Inspiration Board.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, but the most accessible place it can strike you is with the interior designers best friend, Pinterest; it is brimming with real paint samples, magazine articles, or a combination of both! Once you have at least a dozen inspiration pieces gathered on your redecorating board, you’ve got an excellent base to start from. After you have some basic ideas about style and design, search through your inspiration board for common themes or similar colors that emerge, and narrow down your color choices from there. Pro Tip: It is super easy to share your remodel inspiration board with your painting contractor, so when you have your first consultation they know what is best to recommend.

 

Reference the Pros.

Check out what your favorite home decor blogger or HGTV host is up to. Often these experts post free resources and examples of how they chose their paint palette for a particular room, or even an entire house, to create their cohesive desired look. Another good way is to contact your local painting professional here in Michigan, us! Here at Top Shelf we pride ourselves on our customer service and making sure you are thoroughly happy with the colors you choose to make your new space.

 

Try it on for size!

It’s always advised to sample your paint colors before committing to them. Most paint stores offer samples, for a small monetary amount, and it’s 100% worth it to purchase a sample. Paint a small portion of each color in the room or wall you are painting and check how it looks in different lighting by looking at it at different times of the day. Sometimes just having a swatch up on the wall and walking by it for a few days can solidify if you love it, hate it or if you should keep searching for the right color. Pro Tip: Sampling paint colors is arguably the single most crucial step in finding the right colors for your home, and skipping this step could be a massive mistake, especially when considering the money and hours you will spend on your project.

 

Use A Painting Consultancy and Contractor.

If you’re still not sure how to tackle your home painting project, a color consultant can point you in the right direction. We can provide you with, samples, expertise, and even a custom-designed color palette for your home. It’s still a good idea to gather your thoughts before an initial consultation so that your consultant can begin to get an idea of what you have in mind but rest assured that we understand the factors that go into making such a significant decision, and we’re here to help.