3 Tips for Picking Paint Colors

Sometimes the hardest obstacle in painting is actually choosing the color to be painted. Here are 3 easy tips to take into consideration when choosing your paint color. Pay Attention to Lighting There is a smart reason why paint stores have light...

Sometimes the hardest obstacle in painting is actually choosing the color to be painted. Here are 3 easy tips to take into consideration when choosing your paint color.

Pay Attention to Lighting

There is a smart reason why paint stores have light boxes for you to test paint samples:

Natural daylight shows the true color, so keep in mind the abundance or lack of natural night in the room to be painted;Incandescent lighting enhances warm tones in the paint color;Fluorescent lighting can make colors seem blue, since the light casts a light blue undertone.

As an example a strong color might be too bright when used next to a large window with natural light, but it might be effective when used in a room that has incandescent lighting and limited natural light.

Follow the Color Wheel

A color wheel is a great reference tool for modifying and intensifying multiple colors. When painting multiple colors you can follow the color wheel to find similar tones of different colors. For example, red and green, which are complementary (opposite) colors, are most intense when used together. You may be surprised at how many combinations function beautifully together, and you may even become attracted to entirely new color palettes. The color wheel also illustrates the visual temperature of a color.

Test Your Color Choice

Boost your confidence by testing colors on large areas of the wall to be painted. Take a leap of faith: Consider strong, vivid colors or soft, deep neutrals like chocolate brown or olive green as main or accent colors. Add drama with a stronger color on the ceiling, instead of just boring white. Tinted ceilings can dramatically change the whole look of a room and the way other colors are interpreted.

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