Paint Color Theory: Choosing Paint For Your Home
RH Business Marketing Solutions
Having the freedom to decorate your own space can be exhilarating. It can also be overwhelming, especially when there’s a wide world of paint colors to consider. If you’re having trouble picking out the paint for your home, it’s often constructive to look to what’s been studied and recommended previously for advice. This is where color theory comes into play.
What is color theory? It is a collection of guidelines on creating appealing color schemes for visual displays, as in interior design. Designers, artists, and just about everyone can use these rules to help them create a unifying palette and appeal more to human psychology, cultural norms, and more.
Of course, you don’t have to spend hours studying color theory to get ideas. Simply using a color wheel — which is a handy tool based on color theory — could help you understand the basics and be well on your way to choosing the right hue.
To help get you started, let’s go over a few tips on using color theory to help pick paint colors like a pro.
Work With What You Love
There’s no problem using your favorite hues for your home. After all, “your house, your rules.” That being said, there are ways to make the most of the choice. An example of this is opting for a complementary shade. Using a color wheel, select the closest color to your favorite. Then, go to the color on the opposite side of the wheel. By using these two selections for one room, you can create a high contrast combination. As these colors amplify each other, the room should give off a brighter, more impactful feel.
On the other hand, you don’t want to get boxed in by a single color. If using your favorite hue in varying shades and tints for a monochromatic effect across several rooms, you may want to consider using something else for at least one or two others. Unsure how much of one color is too much? You should reach out to the professionals. Whether you choose to hire an interior decorator or residential painting services, these experts can help you achieve the look you’ve always wanted.
Work With What You’ve Got
Unless you’re doing a larger-scale renovation, the existing features of the room definitely play a role in choosing new paint. For instance, the warm tones of medium-to-dark wood trim can be brought out for a gorgeous effect with the right white paint. If white seems too sterile, a sleek shade of light greige — blending grey and beige — works as a wonderfully modern take on the white-and-wood combo.
You could also play up the natural effects of the wood with green paint or a crisp blue. These can generate more of an impact but should be considered carefully. If you have lighter-toned wood, try incorporating gray to create a mid-range tone or use a shade with deep-blue undertones to help offset tones from darker stains of wood.
Another consideration is that the baseboards, windowsills, doors, and other trim elements should ideally be one color. What’s more, said color should be as close as possible across all features, especially if the trim is white. An off-white paint positioned next to a factory-white paint could negatively impact the cohesive look you’re hoping to achieve. Matching the trim color is also beneficial in unifying the entire home’s aesthetic as you transition from one room to the next.
Want to learn more about paint color theory? Check out the accompanying resource for further information.
Author bio: Anthony M. Salvatori is President of Steadfast Painting Solutions. He has 20 years of painting experience and has been operating his own company for nine years. Salvatori is proud to be leading such an incredible team of individuals with the common goal of providing excellent service and quality. After attending Robert Morris University's undergrad program for Business Administration, he earned his Master of Business Administration. Salvatori began building his expertise in the painting industry at age 15 working under the mentorship of his parents in their family-owned painting business.