When it comes to residential painting, simply choosing the right interior and exterior colors can be the most difficult part of the task. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time in your home, and you want it to look beautiful from the outside as well. There is a lot to consider when choosing paint colors, from personal preference to market value. If you’re struggling to make this decision on your own, it might help to ask for advice from professional painters.
To give you a head start, let’s break down some of the factors involved in choosing the right color. We hope this information will help you choose your colors with confidence.
Pay Attention to Finish
At the outset, it’s important to note that paint looks a bit different in its wet and dry states and that different finishes reflect and absorb light in specific ways. In other words, the color you choose might end up looking darker or lighter after it’s been applied. For instance, flat paint tends to dry a bit lighter while glossy paint may appear darker in certain light. Be mindful of these potential changes before making a final choice. If in doubt, consult your painting services, as they should have an idea of how the dried paint will ultimately look.
Creating Contrast
Very few homes are painted a single color, inside or outside. But contrast makes a home more interesting, lively, and attractive. Home painting often involves choosing the right colors as opposed to choosing just one. This decision may be informed by the furniture in a room. If your living room features dark furniture, for example, lighter shades of paint can create a strong contrast. Or, painting your ceiling a different color than your walls can give a room character as well. The possibilities for contrast are endless. The point here is to keep contrast in mind when choosing a color (or colors).
Thinking About Trends and Value or Painting With Preference
It’s your home, so you’re in charge of the colors you choose. However, it might not always be your home. Down the road, you might have to sell your home for one of a number of reasons. In that case, you’ll want to maximize your property value. This means that you must think outside yourself a bit. Your favorite colors might not be what’s trending, after all. If this is the case, your home will be less valuable on the market.
Still, this might not matter to you. If you plan on staying where you are for many years to come, or market value isn’t a big concern for you, you’re free to ignore any and all color trends that come and go. Even if your exterior painting colors decrease your home’s curb appeal in the public eye, what does it matter if you’re happy with its look? The same goes for your home’s interior. Choose the colors you desire, but be aware that they might not be the most strategic colors if you plan on selling.
Using Technology to Help Seal the Deal
In the past, choosing paint colors for your home was a major risk. There was no way of seeing how your home would look with these new colors. The best you could do was visualize it in your mind. Fortunately, today, paint manufacturers and hardware retailers have developed technologies that allow you to virtually paint your home so you can see with a high degree of accuracy what it will look like when it’s done, such as Sherwin-Williams’ ColorSnap and Home Depot’s Project Color apps. These apps take much of the risk out of interior painting and help you confidently choose the right colors for your home.
When choosing paint colors, there are no right or wrong answers. Still, there is plenty to consider when making this decision. The more you know, the better you’ll feel about your choice. If you want even more advice on choosing colors, contact All American Painting Plus. Our experienced painters can help you choose colors that will suit your needs and make your home look exactly the way you want. To learn more about all that we do, give us a call at (703)-620-5563!
