Your home’s look and feel can change drastically with a few paint upgrades. However, choosing the right colors can seem impossible. Simplify the process with these tips on how to select the best paint color for your home.
Pick a Color Scheme
Having a color scheme for an entire room can make finding a paint color much easier. The room’s color scheme includes a combination of colors used in the décor, furniture, and wall color. It’s usually best to stick with three colors or less for your color scheme. Use the color wheel to better understand what colors will work well with one another. For example, a monochromatic color scheme uses many hues in the same color family, which works well for creating elegant spaces. On the other hand, using three primary color hues will create brighter, bolder color scheme.
Choosing a Paint Finish
After you have the colors you’d like for your color scheme in mind, you’ll need to decide on a finish. A paint’s finish, or sheen, refers to how much light the paint reflects. Paint that reflects a lot of light will appear shiny and make a room brighter. Paint that reflects very little light will appear smooth and flat and make a room feel cozier.
Common paint finishes
Matte paint
Matte paint absorbs the most light and creates a chalk-like appearance. When dry, matte paints may appear lighter than their swatch colors. The downside to this paint is that it tends to show dirt easily. Avoid choosing this finish for rooms that often become dirty, such as a bathroom or kids’ playroom.
Eggshell paint
Eggshell paint has a low sheen with a soft, smooth finish. Eggshell paints tend to stay true to their swatch colors when dry, and they’re easier to upkeep than matte paint.
Satin paint
Satin paint has a soft, pearl-like finish, which makes it a very popular and versatile choice for interior walls. Like eggshell paint, a satin paint’s finish usually doesn’t affect the paint color’s appearance. Satin sheens work well in kitchens, bathrooms, and hallways.
Semigloss paint
This has a shiny, sleek appearance that brightens a room by naturally reflecting light. On the wall, semigloss paints may appear darker than their swatch colors. Semigloss paint is also a great option for kitchens and baths.
High-gloss paint
This finish reflects the most amount of light of any paint finish, making it very shiny in appearance. Generally, high-gloss paint works better for accents such as doors, molding, and cabinets than for walls. Like semigloss, a high-gloss finish can make colors seem darker than their swatch.
To select the best paint color for your home, start by finding the right color scheme and paint finish to match your interior. Once you have your color scheme and paint in mind, reach out to Ashford Painting’s painting contractors in Atlanta, GA, to bring your look to life.