Paint Color Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make
We sometimes receive calls from homeowners who are very unsatisfied with the paint colors they have chosen. These are some of the complaints we hear about their paint color mistakes:
“The white in this room looks dirty to me!”
If your room is bright and modern, white will lighten the room. Otherwise, it can look depressing. Generally, rooms facing south or west have more sunlight than those facing east or north. Opt for a mid-tone or dark color to embrace the lack of light.
“There’s no contrast in this room. It’s boring.”
Don’t try to exactly match your furnishings to your paint color because your room will have no interest. Choose a lighter or darker shade if you want to create a monochromatic look.
“The paint color chip didn’t look like what I painted on my walls. It was very deceiving.”
First of all, the color on the paint chip isn’t really paint; it’s ink. You really need to buy a small can of the sample paint that most paint companies now carry. Paint two coats of it on a large piece of poster board. Cut the poster board into four pieces. Attach one piece to each wall of your room and watch how the light affects the color throughout the day. Do not sample the color by painting it right over your existing paint because it will not give you the true look of that color.
“I need sunglasses in this room. It’s too bright!”
Homeowners want to try a cheery color they see in a magazine in a tiny room. Once painted, the color overwhelms the space. Use brighter colors in well-lit, airy rooms.
“This is the color of the year. Isn’t it supposed to beautify my home?“
Don’t select a paint color because it’s trendy. Select a color that you like or you won’t feel comfortable in your home because it doesn’t reflect your taste.
“I thought this neutral color would brighten this room, but it doesn’t.”
If you have lots of shadows in the room throughout the day, opt for a brighter color because the room will naturally darken your selection.
“I think I chopped my house up. It looks smaller.”
Using too many different paint colors in a home will make it look smaller. Generally, it’s better to paint everything the same color or make subtle color shifts by using different shades of a color. Highlight architectural features in your home with an accent color to distinguish them.
Color is a very personal decision. Think about the mood you want to create in your home. Consider the size of the room and the amount of light it gets. When selecting colors, stick to three so you don’t chop up your home. Most importantly, test the paint color first before using it so you don’t make any paint color mistakes.
Interiors Revitalized is a full-service home staging, model home merchandising, and interior design firm located in Jacksonville Florida. In addition to Jacksonville, we serve the St. Johns, St. Augustine, Orange Park, Fleming Island, and Fernandina Beach areas. Contact us today at 904.625.2214 to discuss your home staging or interior design project. We’ll make that first offer your best offer!
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Choosing a paint color is really important you also have to consider the lights in the room, what kind of room is it or if it is dark inside the room to see if it fits the color. Great blog by the way and thanks for sharing this information!
Great to know. As a professional house painter, there is a paint color selection tip I can suggestion though that’s guarantee to not be a mistake regardless. If you’re in doubt as to what color to select, go for green (almost any shade of green works).
Love these tips, especially the one about jumping on with the trend or “color of the year”. Most often, people change their minds after the fad is over, which is not a problem except that updating a paint especially in a big room or house is not too cheap.
Recently , I bought a house that has a southern exposure, but the sun coming in the kitchen window and dining rooms are so bright its blinding to look at., but if I paint those rooms “white”
I’m afraid the light shining in will reflect all this white paint and only end up making it even brighter.
😎 I L need sunglasses. I’m afraid I don’t agree with you on this post. Do you think that painting a room that already is bright needs another bright shade?
I would go with either a medium toned down shade , like cream, or even darker like a muted soft green gray for an overly bright area would create some balance .
Then the opposite with a northern facing room, use a brighter or brighter color to balance that room.
I find that if you hold a paint swatch vertical like it would be if you tacked it hanging on your wall, the shade will look very different, much darker. 😲. Try using a more neutral shade like beige with a back tone color that compliments your furniture, then save the bright colors for accent chairs, wall hangings, sofa pillows, and pottery.