Steps and Tips for Choosing the Perfect Paint Colour!

Painting. One of the first things that comes to our mind when we think of the word renovation. As much as it is interesting though, you need to understand the nitty-gritty of what to do before we start the paint job. One of the first things that needs to be done is to find Water Damage Restoration Experts who can conduct a thorough inspection of your order and repair the damage that needs repair. After that, you can begin by choosing the right color for your wall.

With literally hundreds upon hundreds if not thousands of paint colours available to us it’s no wonder choosing just the right one can be a daunting task! Then we must consider dark, light, medium, warm colours, cool colours, does it match the cabinets, will it go with the floor, will the sofa still look good?! The list of considerations is long when it comes to selecting a paint colour. Even as a designer, I often find choosing the perfect paint to be not only one of the most important tasks, but the most challenging. Paint is a game changer of interiors. “If you change the paint you change the room!”

Tone on tone palette

Well the good news is I’m here to help in more ways than one! Read on to learn my top tips for choosing the perfect paint! If you need a little bit more assistance or would just prefer to have me help you choose a custom colour that will work for your space, click for an online paint consultation, where I will choose the perfect colour for your project!

These are my tried and true methods for finding just the right colour for your project, whether it be a living room, master bedroom, kitchen or bathroom, check out the steps below.

1. 1. Start with a little inspiration! I’ve talked before about one of my favourite books for inspiration; Joanna Gaines, ‘Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces’ This book is just so full of beautiful spaces and great info too, not necessarily all paint, but still such a great home decor book! My favourite online source of inspiration can be found on Pinterest. Are you trying to find a colour to go with your white cabinets and cherry wood floor? Literally type that into the Pinterest search bar and various pictures of rooms matching that description will pop up. Scroll and see if you can find some that you like. Are you thinking of a certain colour, dreaming of a soft blue perhaps? Same advice type “soft blue living room walls” into the Pinterest search bar and see if you find some pictures that appeal to you. I will admit, Pinterest can be a rabbit hill you may never emerge from! But it is a powerful tool and you can refine your searches to help you see how a colour might look with say a brown sofa. Just type in keywords and Pinterest will do the rest!
   2. Look at what you have in your own space and consider if anything is going to be changing any time soon. If you are planning to buy a new sofa or replace your flooring, you may want to do this before painting. As I mentioned, there are literally hundreds, probably thousands of paint colours available, but there may only be a small handful of sofas or flooring options that could work in your space. The selections are more limited because there are more factors to consider. For example, when it comes to choosing a sofa you have to choose a frame and style you like in the right price point and size and then you are subject to what fabrics it comes in. Similarly, if you are deadset on installing a stunning hardwood floor, then everything else will need to be matched to this. It is always easiest to select the items with the least amount of options first and then add on. This makes paint the very last thing that should be chosen… in an ideal situation! “You want to choose your paint to match the room, not the room to match the paint.” Although, you’ll want to paint first so that nothing drips on your beautiful new sofa and flooring! Alternatively, it might be a wise idea to hire a reputable company that can ensure your paint job is looking as seamless as possible without any mess being made to anything that’s not being painted!
   

   Kate Spade Wallpaper, Ellen Degeneres Light fixture.

   3. Now you are ready to start looking at swatches of paint! Head down to your local paint store and select all the paint card swatches that look even remotely close to what you had in mind. And perhaps surprise yourself with choosing something you weren’t expecting to like, but now you’re standing in front of all these colours, that green there looks pretty snazzy! Don’t be afraid at taking too many paint colours home. Better too many than too few. Oh and do take the swatches home. Never ever choose the paint colour in the paint store! The colour will look different in your home with your lighting.
   4. Look at the swatches one at a time! You’ve brought home your bundle of paint swatches and your tempted to layout all 35 on the back of the sofa to try and narrow it down. DO NOT DO THIS!!! I repeat DO NOT DO THIS!! Ok, deep breath. We are going to look at these swatches 1 at a time. I know, I know, this is going to take a while. Yes, go ahead and grab a glass of wine. Right, ready? Now then, 1 swatch at a time. You may hate me after this step, but it’ll be worth it in the end I promise!Now here’s the thing. To do this properly, you literally need to isolate the single colour you are considering. Seeing it on the sample sheet with multiple other tones, will not help in this process. Anybody who has seen my paint decks or had me choose colours for them can tell you, my pages are all bent. I bend them to show one colour at a time. Looking at all the colours at one time is like taking sips of 5 wines at one time and trying to decipher the individual qualities of each! So isolate each colour you are considering.With swatches it is probably easiest to just cut up the sheets. For each swatch you want to
      • a) look at it from a slight distance (prop it on the back of the couch), *You may decide immediately that it’s a no. Eliminate the instant gut no’s. Rip them up so you don’t accidentally go back to them.
      • b) Walk around the room holding up the swatch and looking at it against trims, doors, cabinets, flooring, and furniture. I actually find squinting can help you to see any undertones, this may just be a me thing, but worth a try!
      • c) Once you have narrowed the swatches down to perhaps 2-5, then you want to look at these one’s in different lighting. Look at them throughout the day and evening, moving them around the room.
      • d) Yes, you can get a second opinion, but do not ask for 3rd and 4th opinions. The decision-makers are allowed opinions on this and maybe one trusted friend who has a “good eye.” Too many opinions will make the decision harder and you might end up with a colour that is not your taste at all.
      • e) If you have certain pieces in your home that are staples for your decor, for example, certain lighting accents, whether that be from colorful lights or neon custom signs from websites like www.neonfilter.com, then you may want to put the colors next to them in certain rooms to see if it flows or matches the decor.
   5. Still undecided? Go back to the paint store and grab a few more swatches of your top choices. Take them home and got through steps a, b and c from point 4 again!
   6. You have decided on the perfect colour or is it? Yes, more than likely it is! If you’ve gone through this process you likely have chosen an excellent paint colour, but it’s going on the wall and you are asking yourself, is it too dark? Does it look orangey? I always tell my clients, do not judge a paint colour until the room is complete. As in the walls are all painted with as many coats as needed, the furniture is back in place and perhaps even art up. This is truly the only time you can decide if a paint colour is right or not. I know, I know, risky very risky!

   Here’s the thing if the paint colour starts to go on and it looks completely wrong or your gut is yelling no way! Then maybe paint a little bit more (double coat) and let it sit for a day or 2. Then decide if your gut still hates it. If so, then it might be back to the drawing board and start collecting sample colours again. Shameless plug upcoming…. you can always get some help from an interior designer….click here!

   

   Mood board blue and white kitchen.

   Many times people see the paint go up and start to question it. Here is what you need to know. Paint is a huge change to a space, it will feel different, perhaps even uncomfortable at first. You may not love it right away. If you have taken the time, done a little research on what you might like, looked at options and narrowed it down, then you have probably made a good choice. There isn’t necessarily a wrong paint colour. It is subjective in many ways, so if you liked the swatch and it appeared to coordinate with your existing furnishings and finishes, then trust yourself.

   Remember a partially painted room or a painted room with nothing else in it, will look completely different to a painted room set up with furniture and decor!

   Happy Painting!!!

   ~ Jennifer ~