5 Mistakes Everyone Makes when Choosing a Paint Color

Picking the shade that will cover a room can be a daunting task- just where do you begin when staring at a wall of dozens of shades? While the vast array of palettes and fabric color ways allow some room for interpretation, too many options mean even the pros among us are bound to take an occasional wrong turn around the color wheel.

Here is a list of the most common mistakes we make when choosing paint color for our homes… and the best way to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Picking Your paint color first. If you pick the paint color first, you can really pin yourself in a corner as far as finding the right things to match. Picking the paint color is on the the last things you want to pick, because you want to see what all the fabrics and other elements in the space are. Keep in mind the effect of natural light and artificial light One color does not look the same throughout the day, so choose a color that looks appealing at a day, noon and night. What you want to do is, get the room planned and then select the paint to support all of the other things going on or in your space. You can take your color cues from fabrics, whether it’s accent pillows or a piece of furniture with a pattern or print on it.

Mistake #2: Picking a color that is too bright or saturated. A bright cobalt blue, which can be trendy, can look great as a ceramic lamp, because it has a sheen to it, or as a silk pillow, because it ahs depth or interest, but when you put that same really bright color on the wall, it’s a whole lot stronger. You want to look for colors that are lighter, muddy colors (meaning they have more gray or black mixed in with them) work a lot better than a really bright strong hue. If the walls are going to scream a bright color, you want to wrap the rest of your furnishings in neutral tones or even white. Decide what your focal point is. If it’s the wall color, then let everything else support it, not fight with it.

Mistake #3: Not considering the home as a whole. Even if it’s a small apartment, transitioning color from one room to the next can be tricky and it doesn’t flow well if you’ve got bright orange in one room and bright pink in another. Use other things to bring the spaces together.

Mistake #4: Losing sight of your emotional goal. Some people think that if their favorite color is red, then that makes it ok to put that color on their bedroom wall. But,
what they really ultimately wanted was a space that is relaxing and calm, so there’s a disconnect between picking colors and what the space is intended for.If you want a room that is really serene, you might want to look at cool colors on the color wheel, like blue and green; if you are looking for something energetic and exciting, warmer colors like yellows and oranges.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Trends. Bright colors have been trending for the past several years, but are now fading out. We are seeing the softer colors begin to trend back in, more muted tones and a lot of black with metallic accents. A lot of the hot orange, painted lacquer furniture- all of the things that people have enjoyed using over the last several years- have become overexposed.

When you see it everywhere, which is where we’ve been seeing tons of bright colors of the last several years, it’s time to think of something different that is maybe a little
fresher or softer or moodier. Look to colors like lavender and black…metal and brass…things that work well and support a rich, sophisticated, even a little bit more of a masculine look.