Choosing a color for your home is a huge decision and a confusing one at that. I’ve compiled a few color and painting tips that may help you along the way. I’ll be adding to this post so make sure you bookmark it and check back in a few weeks for some more helpful tips.

When you are designing a color scheme for your home put the color chips on a flat surface and look at them from overhead. Do they all relate? Do they look like they are in the same family? This is how they will transition from room to room. Make sure it’s perfect before you start to paint. Sample the color out and make sure you view the color chip in the room in which it belongs.

Using pink paint colors in your home? Be extremely careful with these hues!! They will look very strange next to your beige carpet or your kitchen tile that probably has a yellow undertone. Sample and check these hues carefully in all lighting conditions throughout the day.

Want your room warm and cozy? Choose a color palette that has yellow undertones.

Painting your front door? Before you decide on any color make sure it’s approved by your Home Owner’s Association if applicable. Then, make sure you view your color sample throughout the day in both the sun and shade. Looks good? Grab a quart of semi-gloss in the color of your choice and paint away!

Not sure of what paint sheen to use? Here’s what happens when you have a lot of light in your home and walls that have in perfections. Can you see the bump on the wall? Not good! Use matte or flat paint to help hide wall imperfections and touch-up spots.

Don’t forget that choosing the best paint is just as important as nailing a color scheme. If you use cheap, contractors brand paint, your colors will fade and not hold up well over the years. Invest in the best paint you can afford and keep in mind, they are many levels of affordability. Choose the one that is best for your wallet.

Oh boy! Be really careful when you seek the advice of the “color consultants” in the paint stores. They will more than likely recommend colors that are safe and generic which just spells out boring to me. They are really there to sell paint not provide you with the best color suggestions that a Professional will.

Keep in mind the there are large samples available for you to view your color. You can also paint them out on sample boards but then it’s less messy and more fun to have all those great color swatches. When you’re done with them, give them to the kids to cut up and reuse for their arts and crafts projects.

I specialize in designing color palettes for homes so I know how crucial it is that the colors flow or transition from room to room. It’s really all about undertones. 

Super easy paint tip! Pick a color right from your bedding and put it on your wall. It’s elementary my Dears!

The #1 culprit that will ruin a paint scheme is lighting. Lighting fixtures such as this one will cast a yellow glow onto your paint color. Have a blue wall? It will be blue-green if you have this type of lighting in your home. Sometimes you can change out the shades or you can choose a paint color that has less yellow it in. This is another reason why you MUST be in the room when you are choosing a color. You can’t or shouldn’t, be in the kitchen when you’re choosing a color for your dining room. It will be a fail – trust me on this one!

Think you’re safe by choosing beige?  Think again! If you’re unfamiliar with undertones you’re headed for disaster!  The biggest mistake I see is when clients choose beige is that they mistakenly choose a pinky beige when they have a creamy beige carpet. Just stay away from beige! It’s not as easy as you think just to choose a neutral.
The same goes for gray. Sure you love those “50 Shades of Gray” but which one is right for your home? Cool gray as in battleship gray or a warm gray that is almost a beige? Call in the Pros for help. One of my favorite tricks of the trade is this. You MUST hold your paint color chips vertically, just like they will appear on the wall, not flat. While some paint does dry darker, most of them just dry differently because of the way you view the color prior to painting. Again, lighting is the issue here.

I’ve been working with paint and color for 30 years. I really know the ins and outs of color and design. I hope you take some of my advice and hopefully it will save you time and money. Remember, if you get stuck, I am available for virtual consultations. You can find information on that service at the top of my blog page in the black tab the heading. Good luck!