Painting an interior room seems like a great idea until you’re surrounded by paint chips with no clear winner in the color selection process. Don’t let the hundreds of paint options deter you from your ultimate goal of creating a beautiful space you love. New interior paint refreshes your space, giving it an updated look that fits your style. So how do you narrow down all those options? Use our methods of choosing interior paint colors to find the perfect hue for every space.
Why Your Interior Paint Choice Matters
Interior walls are relatively easy to paint. If you don’t like the results, you can repaint. Since interiors have more walls to separate spaces, you don’t have to redo everything, unlike exterior paint jobs where you have to do everything at once. That makes choosing interior paint colors a little easier than choosing exterior paint colors, but it’s still a decision you want to consider carefully.
Why does it matter? Room color has a major impact on your home. Consider the following reasons interior color choice is important.
Large space: The walls make up the entire perimeter of your room from floor to ceiling. That’s a lot of surfaces covered by your selected paint color. If it’s not an appealing hue, it’s going to stand out in a big way.
Room ambiance: Color plays a role in setting the mood. If you want a calm, soothing bathroom space for relaxation after work, you don’t want to choose a bright, energetic, vibrant wall color. The mood a color sets can sometimes be subtle, so it’s important to consider the traits before changing your walls.
Resale value: You may be planning to stay in your home forever, but if you’re planning to move anytime soon, your home’s resale value is important to you. Bold or unusual colors can make your home less appealing to potential buyers.
Coordinated look: Your room already has furniture, architectural features and other permanent fixtures in it. Your paint color selection helps create a cohesive look in your space, instead of letting the colors clash or compete.
Personal appeal: You spend a lot of time in your home. You want colors you enjoy looking at, and that make you feel comfortable. Designers use many tricks to choose paint colors, but, ultimately, you need to pick something you can stand staring at every day.
Interior wall paint tends to hold up well because it’s not exposed to the natural elements like exterior paint. Your inside paint job can last seven years or longer, depending on the quality of the paint and how well you maintain your home. Some people choose to repaint more frequently because they’re bored with the old color or the existing paint starts showing signs of wear, like scuffs, peeling or other damage. The timeline is up to you, but choosing colors you love that fit your space every time you paint makes your space comfortable until your next makeover.
Identify Focal Points
Look around your room. What do you want to emphasize? Does the room have a fireplace or a unique arched doorway? Do you have an amazing view through a large window in the space? Use that focal point as your inspiration for choosing your room colors. Choose colors that complement those features and make them stand out. One option is to choose two colors that work well together. Paint the area near a focal point a vivid, bold color that grabs your attention, while leaving the rest of the room a softer color or a neutral shade. If your room is lacking in architectural interest, you can create your own by choosing one accent wall in a bold color. Add artwork, a beautiful furniture piece or another interesting item on the wall.