When deciding how to aesthetically improve a room in our homes, the first question we ask ourselves is usually “what color should the walls be?” and it seems like a logical place to start. Wall color is very influential when it comes to how a room feels. Plus how to choose a paint color is rarely even questioned. You pick what you like, right? That’s certainly not the best plan. You’ll do well to wait till most of the furnishings have been chosen and pick what the space calls for. Here are some tips to guide you:
Bright is Brighter Than You Think
A big empty room always looks quite different, and larger, than a furnished one. If you choose your paint without picturing the room with its future furnishings, you’re probably willing to go brighter than you would if you knew what was going in the space. Bright colors can look positively overwhelming on walls, and colors that seem pastel can look quite vibrant too. An empty room can make you think you have space for that much color saturation, With your furniture in the space, you may find that isn’t true. Move your color choices closer to white or closer to black to calm them down. Remember when looking at paint chips that everything seems brighter when used on large spaces like walls.
Don’t Let Your Color Choice Weigh You Down
If you change your mind about a table, your chair height may also need to be changed. If you decide to change an upholstery pattern, you may need different accent pillows. A lot of things, once they are decided, became anchors for other elements. Wall colors are highly influential within a room. Don’t’ let your wall color control and influence all your other decisions, instead allow it to unify and support youl other decisions after they’re made. You’ll feel freer to experiment and follow your instincts without wall color constraints.
Put simply, you can choose a wall color and then find 100 individual things that both meet your needs and work with this color, OR pick out whatever fabrics, materials, and objects call to you, and then find 1 color to compliment the group of them.
Use Wall Color to Attain Your Mood Goal
Every space is used for a purpose, or it wouldn’t be in our homes. Think about what mood you want each room to inspire to support its role: relaxing bedroom, invigorating office, welcoming & energized kitchen? How do you want to feel in the space? Choose wall colors that nurture that mood naturally. You may want to do some research on color theory and pay close attention to how you feel when surrounded by different colors.
How to Choose a Paint Color That is Mindful of Nearby Spaces
Think of your rooms as different chapters of the same book. They are each quite individual, but they have to connect and lead into each other, telling one story together.
Look at the rooms this room leads into and out of. What colors would compliment nearby spaces? What colors would seem very out of place between them? Make sure that the story is cohesive, and the color of this room feels like a natural part of this home. This doesn’t mean that rooms should match or color coordinate, just that they should complement or seem naturally adjacent to each other.