Transform Your Home With Color

Have you seen that commercial with the couple standing in the middle of their empty family room? They are staring at these large, blank, white walls. The husband breathes a heavy sigh and the words "It looks great..." (or something along those lines) and asks the wife..."what do you think?" Her reply is "It looks like we couldn't figure out what color to paint." Brutal but honest. Are you suffering from White Wall Syndrome? I say to you, heal thyself. Don't be afraid of color on your walls.The worst that can happen is you paint over it. Reality in today's world is not the repaint but the time to repaint right? Maybe we can help you get it right the first time.There are a lot of Paint manufacturers out there. I am going to reference Benjamin Moore because most of us know where to go to get the Benjamin Moore brand without having to drive into the next universe.

Let us start at the beginning. First things first, don't start with your walls. Begin with the fabrics you will have in the room. What I mean is this- if you already have your furniture and it is not going to change in the next 12 months or more, that is where you start. If you are purchasing new furniture then you will need your fabric swatches from the new upholstery. Lay your fabrics all out on the table/ottoman in the room you are wanting to paint. Lay them together and overlapping so that your entire palette of fabrics will be seen all together with your possible paint selections. Look closely at the fabrics in front of you. Which color is least represented in the group? If you have a pale aqua background with a deep chocolate pattern, which is the dominant color? The Aqua? "Wait" you say, "I can't have chocolate walls!" My question to you is, Why not? Create a beautiful and opulent feel in your room. Keep the trim and doors a bright white. Please, don't forget the ceiling. It too is a wall and will suffer from neglect.
You still insist you cannot have chocolate walls, "The room will get too dark for me!" Okay. It's alright. Let's look at the aqua. Because in this case you only have 2 color choices. Aqua and Chocolate right? You can take the aqua color and go with a deeper version of it and still be able to pull off a fabulous room. You have to be careful if you want to go with a paler version of the color because your walls could end up looking like they are merely another version of white. Remember, your trim and doors are still going to be a bright white, it keeps the color palette looking crisp and fresh.

After your color goes up on the walls it's time to add more color. This palette opens the door for some fabulous accents with pillows, art, area rugs, and so much more. Don't be afraid of color. Use it and live in it.

You want that bright and airy feeling.You also want warm and inviting. Don't despair.You want your fabrics to be conversational. The point here is to choose a paint color that will allow your furniture/fabrics to come to life. Choose color that will give you bright, airy and still warm and inviting. Am I making sense? Let me ask this question....Do you love your fabrics? Do you love your upholstery pieces? Don't you want them to come to life the way you imagined they would when you bought them? POP!? Use the fabric to find the right hue. Don't try to guess it. If you can't take your fabric with you to the paint store then grab every paint swatch of "pale to deep aqua" and "chocolate"(insert your own colors here)you can find. Bring them home and lay them out on your fabrics. The color will choose itself. You won't have to guess.

Now, in spite of all of this, you are still petrified...call a Designer. Ask them for a simple paint consultation. Most designers offer this service. Isn't it worth the consult fee? Time is money, if you have limited time, spend the money on a Designer. In the long run, it will save you money as well as give you back much of your valuable time.

Benjamin Moore offers a program on their website where you can "try on" color combos before you start. It can give you a feeling for your color before you leap. It won't be exact because color will change in your own lighting. Swatches are the way to go. If you buy a sample jar and paint a small swatch on your wall, you could still be misled. Imagine a huge white wall with a tiny square of color. Your color will be intensified by all of the white. Keep an open mind. A small square can give you a feel, but remember, it's only a sampling. Still cannot decide? Call that Designer I told you about. You can reach us at 813.259.4959