Selecting Your Paint Colors
Your not colorblind:
Selecting paint colors is probably one of the most challenging choices you can make with your interior. I have experienced this and have been there first hand. If I'm being honest, this is where I currently spend most of my time. I don't sit for 3 hours until I select one, but I look for inspiration everywhere. I love how colors can become family in a room.
First off, paint colors are difficult because there are so many options. Looking for blue? Okay, how about this pastel blue, or this more saturated blue, or even ocean blue? There are blues that look gray and blues that look green. Sometimes I wonder if I’m colorblind! I'm not, if I have any clients reading this haha, your designs are safe:)
Sometimes you can select the prettiest color, in this example blue, and head home to test it out. However, it is not always even close to what you wanted. Why is this? Due to variation of light in an interior, colors will appear different in their space.
Gray is your secret:
If your natural light is perfect, but your color still seem off, consider what other colors are in your space. Is something offsetting the color? Is it well balanced?
Here is the secret that will make your color choices a little easier on you forever: ALWAYS GO A LITTLE MORE GRAY.
Going more gray and going lighter are two different decisions. If you go lighter, your saturation may not change. If you go more gray, your saturation will change and will avoid such a bright dark color. Basically, going more gray or neutral will take the neon out of the paint color… so gray all the way!
Furthermore, colors are what define your space:
With light paint colors, comes a happy space that will brighten your atmosphere. Since I love a grandmillennial style, light is all I want in most cases. You can also change your interior style over time with a light paint color. Lighter colors always make me happy and relaxed.
If you are looking for a beautiful challenge, try looking into colors that have a bit more saturation to them. I am not typically drawn to bold colors that are saturated, but I have seen it done in beautiful ways. If you do use a paint color that is bold, try to lux it up to get the most out of it. You can do this by gathering up beautiful and quality items like a brass mirror for a high end look, a stained wood table to tone down the room, and a classic pair of long pinched drapes, to bring a sense of elegance into the room.
If dark is what the room wants to be, your interior style could be moody and traditional. I absolutely love a moody space. It can often give your interior a break from the spaces in your home if everything is light. We have a dark bathroom in our small home, and at first I wasn't sure how I would feel about it, but I now absolutely love it! Here is the key to having a dark interior: you have to have NATURAL LIGHT in most cases for it to work. I have a friend who painted her hallway and doors a dark color with no natural light in there. When it was night time, she ran into the door because everything just blended together. Having natural light is key.
Now, picking out colors for your exterior is a little easier due to natural light exposure. A note to think about is that when the sun hits the color, it will fade after some time. If you choose a dark color, expect a little wash out after a few years. It will still look good, but it may be lighter than you had originally planned on.
Remember, colors are your friend:
Paint colors will make an impression, make a space feel moody, and make a room beautiful. My last piece of advice is to not be afraid of colors. Remember, colors are your friend.
