subject: Choosing Color For Interior Painting [print this page] Color choice for interior painting will make a huge difference in how the inside of a home looks. Selecting the wrong colors will make rooms look too small, too wild or just plain ugly. A suitable choice can be a major improvement for relatively little cash outlay. The walls of a house are the backdrop for all decorating, furnishings and day-to-day living. It's important to pick the right tone. Here are some tips:
-Size of your room: If you have a large space that you'd like to make appear cozier, opting for a deeper tone can accomplish that. If you have a tiny room and want it to appear larger, sticking with light neutrals can achieve that. Painting a small room a dark color will make it seem claustrophobic and an all white barn-ish room can look like a hotel lobby, impersonal and cold, which is not a good option for interior painting.
-Natural light: Another thing to take into consideration is the natural light flowing into a room through windows and skylights. If your space is dark, you'll want to stick to lighter hues to brighten up the space. If you have plenty of natural sunlight, your colors will be brighter and you're freer to add pigment to your decor.
-Picking the right "red" or other hue: If you want to paint a room yellow, red or blue, you may go to the paint store and become overwhelmed by the high number of paint chips in those common colors. Some are cooler and others are warmer. Cool tones have more blue in them while warms have more orange. If you're trying to match the red in your sofa, it would be wise to take some paint chips back home with you, the larger the better. Pin them up on the wall; compare them to the fabric; live with them for a day or two to see how they pick up the light.
-Trying some samples: Once you've gotten a few colors narrowed down, get the store clerk to mix up some samples for you. Some lines of paint now sell tiny jars in various hues for just this reason. You never really know what something's going to look like till you brush it up on the wall. Bring home two or three options such as "firehouse red," "cherry," and "rosebud" back to your house and brush them on. Let the samples dry and then make your decision. If you think this seems like a lot of trouble, try painting rooms the wrong color and having to live with it for a few years. Clashing hues can disrupt the Feng Shui of your house like crazy. Taking the time to do a few extra steps will be well worth it in the long run.
Once you've made your selection, buy the specified number of gallons, some high quality brushes, masking tape, sandpaper and a scraper. Preparing the surface and protecting woodwork is an important part of interior painting. Throwing old sheets or plastic tarps over furnishings will also be a worthwhile step in preparation.
