How to Choose a Paint Color Without Losing Your Mind.

It’s really easy to drive yourself crazy when trying to pick a paint color; And although I would like to say after our house that I have mastered the art of selecting paint colors, I would be lying to you. I have however learned a few things that do help throughout the process and make it a little less painful experience. Let's get into it.

 

Did you know you can adjust the % of a paint color?! Well I didn’t. Finding this tip out brought me more joy than it probably should have.

 

Changing the percentage on a paint color will make it continually more subtle the more you lower the percentage.

 

Take our Primary Bedroom for example. I loved the Sherwin Williams color “Jogging Path” and it was ALMOST perfect; But once I put a sample against the wall I just felt like it needed to be a tad bit softer. I ended up doing Jogging Path at 50% and voila, i’m obsessed.

 

 

I found that my favorite way to do paint samples was to go to the dollar store and buy a few of the foam poster boards with some sponge craft brushes. I cut the poster boards into 4’s and put my paint samples on them and label them. This way I have samples that I can carry around the house with me to each room to see how they look in the light; as well as put colors up next to each other to see if I like how they look together.

 

 

Probably the MOST important thing to consider when picking a paint color. Different lighting can completely change the look of a color. I have been obsessed with a color in one room and then try and put it in another and have been like “um excuse me, who are you? We have literally never met before”

 

That is another reason why taking the time to make the paint samples is so important so you can physically take them in to each room to see if they work.

 

I think this is more of a preference than anything. I tend to lean towards a matte or flat finish when I am using darker colors like I have in our Guest Bedroom/Bath and everyone’s favorite Green in our living room and kitchen.

 

 

For the lighter colors in the house like “SW White Duck” that’s in our living room and “BM White Dove” that’s in our kitchen and hallway I opted for a satin finish. I like satin because it has a little shine that helps to hide any fingerprints or other imperfections that can happen when you live in a house, but still soft enough that you don’t really notice it.

 

A big no no - and a time when the sheen shouldn’t be a preference (unless you like the look of scuffed up, dirty baseboards lol) your baseboards should always be in a satin or semi-gloss finish. These sheens are much easier to clean and like I said above, they have some shine to them that camouflages imperfections a lot better than a flat or matte sheen does.

 

My last piece of advice is to just go for it! My favorite parts of our home are the spaces that I was most nervous about when picking the paint color. Can you believe I almost didn’t paint my laundry room pink?! I mean, I was second guessing myself even after we started painting; But now it is literally my favorite little space in our house and it makes me happy every time I walk into it.

 

I think there’s always a good chance of you “liking” a safer choice when it comes to paint - but I think there is a way bigger chance of you LOVING the bolder choice of paint that made you a little nervous.