At some point in the life of every homeowner, the question of painting the interior looms large. Whether the previous paint job has faded or degraded, you've grown tired of the old look, or you have put the house up for sale, a new coat of paint can transform your interior space. The question you'll have to answer before you get started, however, is, what is the perfect color to use?
This guide can help you get started on a do-it-yourself paint color consultation, as well as other important issues to consider.
Painting a House for Sale
All too often when people put up their home for sale and decide to paint it, they end up choosing a color that they love. That works, so long as the beloved color fits the neutral tones that real estate agents prefer. Bold colors divide people. Some like forest green, others do not. One potential buyer may love brown while others hate it.
Ideally, the color scheme of a house for sale invites the buyer to think of it as a canvas instead of a finished product. They can discuss and imagine for themselves what they might like with whites or off whites.
Painting a House for You
When painting a house for yourself, think about your favorite colors and how they interact with your furniture, rugs, and each other. Experts suggest that you use the color wheel that almost everyone learned about in elementary school as a guide. Whether innate or absorbed from tradition, people have certain ideas about which colors look pleasing together and which ones clash.
Also, take advantage of the free advice that paint companies provide in the form of swatches and samples. The endless array of tones, shades, and colors may bewilder you and even lead to intense discussions with your partner over which shade of blue goes best with the couch.
Examine the latest styles and trends with a grain of salt, unless you plan on selling your house soon. Today’s flashy new style becomes tomorrow’s dated look. Instead of consulting fashion, consider what colors and styles that you want to live with over the next ten years.
Think Not Just of Single Rooms, But Also Transitions
Another common mistake lies in selecting paint colors for adjoining rooms without considering how they will look together. When going from one room to the next or seeing one room from another, complementary colors please the eye instead of jarring it.
Take Special Care When Painting Rooms With High-Stress Environments
Not all rooms offer the same environment for paints. Some endure higher exposure to things like moisture and heat, which can affect how paints behave.
Bathrooms and laundry rooms can make your paint vulnerable to damage over time. Especially in the case of bathrooms, paint can experience extreme levels of heat and humidity on a regular basis. This can place immediate damaging strain on poor quality paint, or even good paint applied incorrectly. Basically, these environments accelerate the aging process of paint.
Therefore, no matter what color paint you use in a bathroom, laundry room, or another indoor space that sees extremes, make sure that it gets applied properly. Clean the space to be painted thoroughly and use an oil-based paint with stain resistance and a glossier paint. Glossy paints are far easier to clean.
Kitchens should also have a glossy paint due to the fact that splatters occur regularly.
Changing the look of your house with new paint colors is fun to plan, but make sure you consider the longevity of the color and type of paint you choose.
