Falling for Paint

At this time of year, the leaves change color, the clothes we wear change shape and weight, and our world seems abundant with fall shades and shadows. Just like the change of seasons, you can easily bring change into your home with a new paint color on a single accent wall or in an entire room.

Choosing the ideal paint color can prove a more difficult task than the painting itself! These tips will turn selecting the right hue into a simple process to get you painting faster.

• Consider the other colors in your room, especially the colors of your existing furniture.
• Determine which basic color family you want to start with (red, orange, y ellow, green, blue purple). Eliminate the color families you don’t like.
• If you want a grey or very light color, still think about the undertones of the color you want. Greys and whites can have subtle shades of all different colors.
• Observe how much light you get and the size of your room. Dark colors make a room appear smaller. Light colors open a room and make them brighter.
• Remember: the paint swatch is tiny. When in doubt, invest in a small container of a sample color. You pay a small price to avoid a very big mistake in a color choice.
• Get samples of the colors you’ve narrowed down to, and paint large swatches of the colors on each of the room’s walls. Its appearance will change due to the light coming into the room and the furniture in the room. Color is amazing! And also can prove tricky.
• Trends come and go, but paint color may outlast a trend. Keep in mind, you probably won’t paint your room every year, but the “in” or trendy colors change all the time. Choose a color you can live with and one you won’t regret in two years. Or choose that trendy color and love it!

Finally, remember the word REPAINT. If you follow all the steps above and still miss that mark with your paint color choice, no worries! Learn from what you don’t like about the color and try again. We hope these tips find you welcoming new colors into your rooms as the colors change in the seasons.

Eileen Calandro