Choosing a paint color is the number one topic that comes up in my consultations. I have the ultimate guide for choosing the perfect paint color for your home. My goal is to help make it easier for you.

WHAT’S YOUR INSPIRATION?

First, what’s your inspiration piece? Think about it, do you have a rug, pillow or piece of art as a jumping off point? That really can help. It’s much easier to choose a color after you’ve selected your furnishings and fabrics rather than trying to coordinate those pieces to your paint color afterwards.

Also, think about the mood of the space. Blues and greens are very calming while yellows are very energizing! Once you know you want a blue or a grey or a beige, or whatever color, it’s time to narrow down which blue, grey or beige.

Designer Tip: Grey looks best with true white trim. Beige works best with cream colored trim.

LOOK AT LARGE COLOR SAMPLES

I highly recommend looking at paint on larger scale and not just the color fan deck. When I go to a consultation, I bring large color samples, which are so much easier to see. That way we can look at it with the homeowner’s existing furnishes and finishes. 

comfort gray | silver strand | jasper stone

If you’re deciding between neutrals, for example, repose gray and agreeable gray. Hold the large samples next to each other and you will see that one is a warmer grey than the other. If you need to compare whites for a cabinet color, you can do the same thing. You’ll notice some whites are creamier than others. Then depending on your existing finishes, you’ll know if you need a true white vs. a creamier one.

Hold the samples next to your cabinets, the stone on your fireplace, your trim, your drapes, or whatever happens to be in the room you are going to paint. You want your paint color to work with these items in a room.

You can also purchase the actual paint in a sample pot and paint it in the middle of an 11×14 sheet of poster board.

An Inspiring Home

TEST YOUR PAINT COLOR

Once again, test your paint on a sheet of poster board and not directly on the wall. If you paint directly on the wall, your existing color will influence the new color, and you don’t want that since the existing color is going away. Live with it for a few days and look at it throughout the day.

An Inspiring Home

CHOOSE THE BEST ONE FOR YOU

My last tip – choose the best color for YOUR home. You might see a paint color you love in someone else’s home, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Always look at the paint color in your home, next to your existing finishes and furnishings, and live with it for a few days.