A fresh coat of paint is a simple way to transform the appearance of your living space. The colors you choose set the mood and may influence how cozy or spacious the room feels. Factors like lighting, room function, and design trends can all influence your choice of interior painting. Here are some tips to help you choose the right colors for your space:
Determine the Mood for Each Room
The colors you choose for each room should enhance the environment you wish to establish. Here are some ways to create mood:
- Energizing: Add bright, warm colors to communal spaces like entryways and kitchens. Bright whites, sunny yellows, or warm terracotta can help emphasize energy and warmth.
- Tranquility: Blue and green hues are often associated with water and nature, offering a room a calm and tranquil atmosphere. Soft blues and seafoam greens may create a spa-like aesthetic in your bathroom.
- Cozy: Neutral tones often feel comforting and cozy. Select beige, brown, or tan tones for living rooms or offices to make the space warm and inviting. Muted colors also help limit distractions when working.
- Dreamy: Dark shades like black, purple, and gray may make a room feel cozy and intimate. This can be ideal in bedrooms where much time is spent sleeping. Lighter purples may invoke a sense of calm.
Find Inspiration From Other Objects in the House
If you are painting an already-furnished home, choose colors that complement the furnishings. Since the paint will be a room’s dominant color, it should match your favorite upholstery, rugs, and curtains. Existing finishes in your home, such as the cabinets, tiles, and brick fireplace, often favor specific undertones, like browns or yellows, which can influence color selection.
Decor pieces should serve as accent colors that stand out against the wall, such as gold against dark green. For a monochromatic color scheme, match your paint to fixtures and furnishings in slightly varying shades. Paint adjacent walls with contrasting colors to emphasize your home’s best features.
Choose Colors According to Room Size
A room’s size can affect the atmosphere after painting. Using bright colors on the interior walls can make narrow hallways feel more spacious. Black paint may make a room feel more constricted and intimate, which may be uncomfortable in an often-used sitting room. Larger rooms often look cozier when painted in rich colors like deep greens, dark reds, and navy blues. Create contrast in these rooms by selecting a lighter shade for the ceilings. This can also make a low ceiling appear higher, while darker colors make a high ceiling appear lower.
Select Complementary Colors for Different Rooms
Choose a cohesive color scheme for your rooms when planning an interior painting project. Selecting shades of the same color can create variation from room to room while keeping your home unified. Use neutral colors in hallways to visually connect different rooms in the house. Adding painted accents in otherwise neutral rooms can also give space visual interest without overwhelming the eye.
Choose the Right Colors for Interior Painting
Painting your house with the right colors can dramatically transform its appearance and atmosphere, creating a space that makes you feel more relaxed and at home. Factors like a room’s size, lighting, purpose, and furnishings all determine which colors are most suitable. When buying paint, utilize available samples and color-matching services to test which colors work well. An experienced interior painter helps make sure your selected colors are applied evenly and precisely. They can also help you determine how much paint you need for your project. Contact a painter today to begin updating your home’s interior.