Choosing a Paint Color: Three Mistakes to Avoid

Choosing your paint color

Are you familiar with the “ultimate paint color dilemma”? It goes something like this. You’re super excited about painting a room in your home.  You get 5 or 6 different paint samples and paint them side by side on a wall.  Then you stare at them for a long time.  You ask your family and friends their opinion. Everyone has a different opinion. Finally, you decide on a color. After you paint an entire wall or the entire room, though, it doesn’t look like you thought it would. Choosing a paint color can be tricky. Here are three of the most common mistakes I see when selecting a paint color AND how you can avoid them. 

Mistake 1: Choosing a color that’s too saturated

Pay attention to the saturation, or brightness, of your paint color. Colors that look bright on the color card will appear even brighter when painted on an entire wall.  Look for your color in a slightly more muted, less intense version. It will likely look like what you envision in your mind and will look much more sophisticated than a bright, saturated color. 

Mistake 2: Choosing a color that’s too dark

Unless you’re intentionally going dark and moody, choose a slightly lighter version of the color you think you want for your space. Colors will appear darker on an entire wall than they will on a small paint card. Go a bit lighter and you should get exactly where you want to be. 

Mistake 3: Not looking at your color in different types of light

Colors can look very different in different types of light. For example, whites turn yellow in really warm light. I always look at colors next to a window during the day (cool light), and in warmer light.  If possible, it’s best to look at the color in the room where it will be used, at various times throughout the day.  

Paying attention to these three details when choosing a paint color will simplify the selection process so much!!  If you need help with paint selection, I have a paint selection package and can do all of the work for you!  Click here to learn more. 

Hi I'm Kricia
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I help crazy busy women physicians create intentionally designed spaces that makes coming home the best part of their day!

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