Choosing interior paint colors for your home is no easy task. There are a variety of questions to ask yourself before you decide on the one. It’s not just a question of if you want red, yellow, green, or blue walls. There are hundreds of shades and finishes to shuffle through before you find one that perfectly fits the style of your home.
Not only are you choosing a color for one specific room, but you’re making decisions that will coordinate from room-to-room and from interior to exterior, so it’s a bigger decision than just going with one of your favorite colors. Deciding between oil or latex, light or dark, glossy or matte can be overwhelming – we’re here to offer you some tips!
Different Types of Interior Paint
Did you know that when you’re choosing paint for your home, you’re not just choosing the color? Interior paint comes in a variety of sheens as well as in either oil or latex.
Latex paint is more common for walls and household uses. It provides a long-term option with a long-lasting durability that is more resistant to cracking and chipping. Typically, these are less likely to yellow with age and emit fewer odors. Oil-based paints work well when priming real wood or painting trim. These types are less durable, yellow with time, and have a longer drying time.
There are several different levels of sheen to choose from when picking the perfect interior paint. For high traffic areas, like a playroom, you will want to go with glossier paint. These types are easier to clean up compared to the alternatives. However, high gloss paints are known to reveal imperfections and give off an unwanted shine.
Matte paints are a great option for walls with a lot of imperfections that you want to cover up. However, matte interior paint is harder to clean and tends to not be very forgiving of dirt and smudges. Because of this most people avoid using it in rooms with lots of traffic.
Semi-gloss paints are a stellar option between high gloss and matte. This type offers the same ability to be cleaned as high gloss paints do while not being as intensely shiny. They are commonly used in kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms. Semi-gloss is also slightly cheaper.
Choose Your Color
Once you’ve decided on the finish, you get to move on to the fun part — the color! The first thing to consider is why you are currently painting your house. Are you trying to update the overall look, or are you getting ready to sell your home? Neutral and light colors typically are the way to go if you will soon be placing your house on the market. If you’re not planning on selling your home, then you might want to branch out a bit from the typical whites and greys.
Consider the rest of your home when picking a color for the room you are currently painting. Are you trying to create a subtle soothing look? Elegant? Vibrant? The different styles are endless, so you want to be careful to choose a color that will fit whatever design style you’ve chosen for your home.
A good starting point is to look at the pieces that currently exist in the room. What type of furniture is present? Is it dark or light? More modern or farmhouse? Are there any statement pieces that will need to be tied in? Use these things to help guide you toward the right color.
There are a few rules of thumb that might help you choose your colors. Lighter colors cause a space to feel larger while darker colors create a cozier, more intimate space. Larger rooms can usually handle more color, while smaller rooms typically need a more calm hue.
Beyond the Walls
The walls aren’t the only thing in your home that can be painted to tie a room together. When trying to choose a color, consider other elements in the room such as the ceiling and doorways. How can you utilize those areas of the room to create the look you’re going after? Consider an accent wall or a multi-colored ceiling if you’re thinking outside the box or tone down a more vibrant color on the walls with a more neutral color on the ceiling.
The opportunities are endless! Grab a paintbrush and get to work! As always, let our team at Method Mortgage lead you to the smartest way home! Give us a call today!
This article was originally published at methodmortgage.com.
If you have a submission that you would like to share, send it our way!
