If you are just moving into a house or are ready for a change, then painting is the most cost effective and least time consuming way to change the mood in a room.  However, even if the painting is the easiest path to refresh a room, it still is a commitment and one that you want to be satisfied with the end results.  Picking paint colors can be challenging.  Here are some tips for how to pick a paint color you’ll love for your Locust Grove home.

The More the Merrier

Paint samples will never look the same in the store as they do in a room.  The amount and type of lighting can alter the paint color, so it’s always a great idea to bring the samples to your Locust Grove home and view them in the room and at different times of the day.  While you are at the store, grab some of the shades near the color you like.  You might find some subtle differences and a shade that you prefer more.  

Once you’ve narrowed down the shades, it’s time to test them on the wall.  Some paint companies, like Benjamin Moore, sell moveable samples that you can stick on the wall and then move to test other walls in the room.  You can buy small samples from the store and paint a piece of posterboard.  Hang this on the wall to observe the paint in the room.  You can also paint large two foot boxes on the walls.  How does it look with the other features in your room?  How does the color change with the light in your room?

Understand Undertones

Have you ever brought a shade of white home only to discover it looks yellow on the walls?  All paints, made up of many different colors, have undertones that are either warm or cool.  These undertones can make a paint look different when it is up against furniture or flooring in your Locust Grove home.  An easy way to determine the undertones is to take a paint sample card and look at the darkest shade on the card.  If it is a deep purple then you’ll know that the shade on the top also has some purple in it.

Bring Inspiration with You

Is there a color in a painting you want to bring into the walls of your Locust Grove home?  Is it a fabric?  Bring a sample of it with you to the store or compare the paint cards that you select from the store to the sample at home.  You don’t have to match the color of your inspiration exactly to the paint sample.  Going a few shades lighter can achieve the look and make both the inspiration and wall color hold their own.  Sometimes colors that you think are white in a store are not.  Use a sheet of white paper to compare colors.

Consider the Rest of Your Home

When selecting a paint color, don’t forget to consider the rest of your home and especially any rooms that you can see from the room that is getting painted.  You want the refreshed room to feel new but still flow with the rest of your home.

Remember the finish

Paint comes in different finishes-eggshell, matte, high gloss, satin.  These finishes can change the feel of the color.  Make sure to get samples with the type of finish that will work well in your room. Colors will look richer in matte finishes, but if it is a high traffic area eggshell will last longer.  Shiny finishes like high gloss bounce light off of walls and are best suited for trim.