I’m a real chicken when it comes to picking a specific paint color. Yes, I realize that if I don’t like the end result I can always paint over it. But, I dread the thought of expending so much time, energy, and money to paint a room only to dislike the end product.
According to the experts I have consulted (in a previous blog I shared my goal for 2007—-update several rooms via new paint), most consumers are much more color confident and much more open to experiment with color, especially on the exterior of their homes. Of course this “expert” was trying to sell me paint so perhaps he was trying to employ peer pressure to get a sale. No deal. I comfort myself by rationalizing that I can hide my mistakes from others by closing the door to said awfully painted room—-painting the exterior of my home is not even on my radar.
But back to the point of this blog… picking colors for any room can be an overwhelming task (it is for me anyway). But, I have recently learned some tricks to help narrow the options.
Check Out Your Closet. It’s a good starting point to see what colors you are comfortable wearing. If you are comfortable putting them on then the theory is you will also be comfortable putting it on a wall.
Study Your Home. Look at materials in various rooms throughout your home, such as the window treatments, and pull colors from that.
Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment. I touched on this earlier, but it bears repeating: Do not be afraid to try new colors. Of course you’ll want to first test the color on a part of the wall before committing to your choice.
FOR THE EXTERIOR:
· Consider the architectural style of your house.
· Consider the region of the country in which your home is located. One of the best ways to gauge exterior colors is to drive through your neighborhood and see what color palette others are using.
· Research. You don’t want to paint your home a deep plum and later find out that your homeowners association has a restriction on that color.
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