Picking paint colours is stressful. There's no two ways about it. With thousands of paint colours out there, even Interior Designers get confused sometimes. Especially when it comes down to picking between two colours, that are literally just a shade different. You can find yourself trying to decide between the two colours for hours on end.
Through trial and error, I have managed to come up with 5 relatively easy tips to help make the paint picking process slightly less stressful. I love picking paints and colour fascinates me to no end. However, there is a common misconception that Interior Design is just about picking paint. It isn't and most of the time paint is the last design element to be picked.
It is an integral design element, so if you get it wrong, it can throw off the balance of the entire room. So here we go.
5 Tips To Picking The Perfect Paint
Don't Buy The Paint First
Like I said above, this is big no-no. Never buy your paint first. Decide on the colour but never buy the paint, or paint your walls before you've decided on any other elements of the room. Colour is an important part of Interior Design and it is the base of all design concepts. However each paint colour comes in hundreds of shades. But furniture, wallpapers and accessories only come in limited colourways. So pick the overall colour at the beginning and then pick the correct shade of colour at the end and then buy the paint. I always it's easier to match your paint colour to your furnishings, than your furnishings to your paint colour.
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Textiles & Furnishings
This follows on from the previous point. Try to buy your textiles and furnishings beforehand if possible. Or at least decide on what you are wanting to buy, and then go and have a look in store. Take a paint colour chart with you and make note of which shades of paint would work. Pick out the neutral colours in the textiles and base your neutral paint colours off of this. This technique will allow you to draw together all the elements of the room and help create a gorgeously awe inspiring interior.
Source: House and Garden
Take Inspiration From The Rest Of The House
One thing to keep in mind is that you want your room to work in harmony with the rest of your house. Ideally you'd want all the neutral colours to be similar throughout the house. Take into consideration the flooring and the doors, as the paint colours should work well with these as well as your furnishings. Unless you're deliberately going for an eclectic look. In which case, throw out all the rules and let your creativity go wild.
Source: paintandpaperlibrary.com
Lighting
Pick your paint and paint your walls after your lighting fixtures have gone in, never before. Lighting has a huge impact on the overall effect of your paint and it can brighten your shade of paint when the lighting is in use. There are two types of lighting that you will have to take into consideration, natural light and artificial light. Your paint will look different in natural light and in artificial light. This is where paint samples and tester pots come into play. Tape or paint your samples on the wall and see how they look in natural light and in artificial light. And then decide, based on which one you prefer.
Source: Swoon Worthy
Pick The Perfect Finish
Now once you've decided on your shades of paint, you'll then have decide on which paint finish is perfect for room. If only it easy as just picking a tin and painting everything you want in that colour with one type of paint. Each element now has a specialist paint and wall paints come 3 or 4 different finishes. So which one do you use, flat, eggshell or semi- gloss? Check out the infographic underneath for a quick and easy breakdown of what each paint finish is ideal for.
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