Picking the right paint color for your home can be an overwhelming experience, especially for the homeowners who work without any professional help. I am starting a new series on paint colors where I shall be giving tips for selecting the right paint color for homes.
Colors are all around us yet when it comes to picking one for our homes it becomes an exhaustive task in itself. There are so many options to choose from and finally, when it is applied on the walls, it looks either too dark or too light. Sometimes we even feel that it is something we never selected!
It is inconceivable to live without colors. Color is the most powerful element of the design process. Colors can make or break any design. What we need for a successful design is the right mix of the right colors. Visualizing a color palette is like making a delicious dish with just the right proportions and mix of ingredients.
Here are some tricks and tips which you can follow to pick the right paint color for your homes. So next time you have a paint job at your home, feel more confident after grasping these easy guidelines.
#1. Pick a whole house paint color scheme
Always view space as a whole. Especially if you have an open house plan, where one space leads to another and there is a visual connection between them. Figure out all possible sightlines. The colors of one area must work harmoniously with the next area. They must have some commonality. E.g. We can use gradations of the same color. The rooms or areas should appear to flow from one to another. The transition from one area to another should not appear disjointed or drastically different. This also holds for a layout with separate rooms. The variations should provide a sense of belonging together.
#2. Work with a mood board and base it on an inspiration
Colors in any space are not defined by only the wall colors. Although walls contribute to the major part of your color story, they form the backdrop for other decor items. When we select a color palette we must have a cohesive approach. We can coordinate all the colors together by working on a mood board. This is a very helpful tool to understand beforehand, with the help of swatches, how colors of all the components of interior space will work together. As a starting point, you can draw inspiration from a piece of art, a fine painting, a piece of your favorite fabric, or even flowers. Start with an inspiration and then build your own color story over it.
#3. Consider orientation and lighting to select the paint color
It is fascinating to note how light changes the way colors behave. Check the light entering the space.
A north-facing room gets diffused light with no direct and harsh exposure to the sun. The light here remains uniform throughout the day and has a blue hue in it. The light from the north is cooler and therefore enhances the cool colors ( blue, green, purple). So here we should keep the paint colors on the warm side.
A south-facing room receives more intense sunlight which changes in its character throughout the day. It is preferable to go for colors that are cooler or have cool undertones. As thumb-rule warm colors are more suitable for north and cool colors would complement the south orientation.
In rooms with eastern or western exposure, the light quality changes throughout the day. Paint color choice would depend on the part of the day the room is to be used. Neutrals are a good choice for such rooms. Also in rooms with mixed exposures like north-east, south-west, etc. we need to have a combined approach.
Another important consideration is the interior lighting i.e. the artificial lighting. Again a warm light would make a paint color appear warmer whereas a cool light would make it appear cooler. So choose colors accordingly. A daylight fixture is fairly neutral and illuminates the colors without changing their character considerably. But at times we do need warm lights to create a more cozy and intimate ambiance. There keep your wall paint colors on the cooler side.
#4. Follow the 60: 30: 10 rule
As a rule of thumb, the dominant color in any interior space is kept to about 60%. The secondary color is generally kept to about 30% and the accent color is about 10% of the total scheme. This is a broad thumb rule that you can follow to get a well-composed theme. This keeps the colors in a pleasing proportion.
#5. Use the color wheel to select the paint color
The color wheel is a time tested tool used by designers. There are a set of primary colors, secondary colors, and tertiary colors. It is a useful tool to understand the basics of color theory. There are a set of warm colors and another of cool colors. It gives us an understanding of how colors relate to one another and how to pair them effectively. Colors do not work in isolation and are very interactive by nature. How they appear with one color is completely different from another one. We have some standard color schemes that we can follow –
Complementary color scheme – These are the colors on opposite sides of a color wheel. As the name suggests they complement each other and enhance each other. There is high color contrast being at two opposite ends.
Analogous color scheme – These are the neighbors on a color wheel. They help create a more subtle color scheme since the shift in colors is not so jarring.
Split complementary color scheme – These include the base color and two opposite colors next to its complementary color. Again it gives a strong visual contrast.
Triad color scheme – These are the colors that are evenly spaced on a color wheel.
Monochromatic color scheme – These include all the shades, tints, and tones of a single color.
#6. Detect the undertones in paint color
Paint colors have undertones i.e. colors that are behind the scene. You must have observed some greys appear green while others appear purple or blueish. This is due to the small doses of underlying colors sneaking out from behind. Few ways to detect the undertone are :
Compare the color with its true or pure color.
Set it on a white background to compare it with true white.
Look at the bottom-most darkest color on the paint swatch strip, which gives a clue to the color undertone.
Compare the color with a complementary color.
#7. Go for test sampling of the paint color
Get the selected paint color sampled at the site. A 2′ x 2′ sample is good enough to give you an idea of the shade you have selected. Also, sampling should be done on walls with different light conditions.
Another important point to note is that within a room a color appears different as per its placement i.e. vertical or horizontal. Even on two adjacent walls, the same color looks different. It looks different on the ceiling. So it all depends on how much light is falling on each surface. Before finalizing a color always check the test sample at the site on all possible surfaces. You get to know how color behaves in changing light conditions of the room.
#8. Pick the right finish or sheen of the paint color
It is very important to select the right paint finish for various applications. An inappropriate paint finish can ruin the look of your interiors. Also, the paint finishes we select would depend on the area and purpose of their application.
As a thumb rule, we use:
Matt finish for the ceilings to hide any imperfections. Flat or matt paints absorb light and hence hide all the undulations and imperfections. They are difficult to clean though.
Satin finish has a medium sheen and is slightly more reflective. It is easier to clean and more durable. This finish is a good option for walls of moderate to high traffic areas.
Semi-gloss for high traffic areas and humid areas like kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, and utility areas. We can go for semi-gloss for accent walls that make a statement or are the focal points, kids’ rooms, etc. Easy to clean, durable but shows imperfections.
High Gloss is to be used cautiously as it reflects a lot of light and reveals it all. It is a good option for glossy tabletops and some exterior applications.
#9. Keep that wood color in mind
Always coordinate your scheme with the wood color of your interiors. Wood by its inherent nature is warm. The undertones of wood generally range from yellow, orange, red to brown. Wood must be considered as a color in the interiors. Now, we need to decide whether we want to accentuate the wood or blend and merge it with the interiors. Your choice of wall colors will make all the difference.
contrast with color
Warm colors would blend the wood, being neighbors on the color wheel. At the same time, they play up and bring out the warm tones of the wood.
Cool colors on the other hand would accentuate the wood, being opposites or complimentary on the color wheel. They also balance the warmth of the wood.
Neutrals like white, beige, and cream complement the wood tones. They work as neutralizers and work well with all the tones of wood. The space looks light and modern. We can always add color through accessories and accents. But we have those hidden undertones in the neutrals as well. So we have to be careful before choosing a neutral.
Cooler colors and undertones are preferred for pairing with wood tones since warm colors may play up the warmth a bit too much. The human brain always responds much better to a balanced environment. Even while choosing the warm colors being on the lighter side helps keep things in check. Stick to the top 2 shades on the paint card. This keeps the space light, fresh, and bright.
Natural, organic, and muted shades of blue and green work well with most wood colors. Very bright and warm colors are difficult to handle.
contrast with intensity
Also, to blend a dark wood tone and keep it subtle, go for a dark wall color. But ensure there is sufficient light in the space. To blend a lighter wood tone go for the lighter wall color. Here we need to keep the color intensity as equal. To accentuate a dark wood tone we use high contrast and therefore need a lighter wall color. Whereas to accentuate a lighter wood tone we need a darker wall color. We should aim at keeping the difference in the color intensity to about 3 times for the wood to stand out.
#10. Examine the paint color psychology
The color choices we make greatly depend on the style we are portraying and also the mood we are trying to create. Also, there are choices of colors as per Vastu shastra.
a. Pick paint color as per the style
Every style that we follow in interiors has some color palettes that suit and befit it more than any other. Therefore when selecting a color keep in mind the style that you are projecting. E.g. a minimalistic or contemporary style would feature more of greys, whites, and blacks. Whereas a traditional style would get enhanced with a warmer color palette like beiges, creams, oranges.
b. Pick paint color as per the mood
Color psychology is a science in itself. Each color evokes a particular mood or emotion. Certain colors are more calming like blues and greens while others are more energetic and stimulating like reds and yellows. So choose colors as per the activity or mood required for a particular area.
c. Pick paint color as per Vastu shastra
The ancient Hindu science of Vastu Shastra recommends certain colors that are more suitable for a particular direction. If you believe in Vastu shastra then you can follow these recommendations as well. I have written a post on Vastu shastra. Please click here to read the full article.
I have shared in this post some easy to follow, broad guidelines for color selection. These are like a few jumping-off points to assist you to develop a color scheme on your own. As we go along I shall be posting more to elaborate on each point. But ultimately you have to follow your gut feeling and select what you love. So go ahead and enjoy the process of color selection and come up with a spectacular one!
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