Choosing Interior Paint Colors and Finishes

The days of boring off-white walls are gone forever, and we couldn’t be happier. Homeowners have started to express themselves in their living areas, choosing to make those spaces into places of joy.

When owners decide it’s time to have their home painted, invariably, the question of color comes up. Sometimes, it can be hard to know how to choose. So, today, we’re going to take a look at how to choose the right paint colors for your home. 

The first thing you have to consider when you paint a room is the light.

Light effects color dramatically, so, if your room has a lot of light, it will appear brighter, and the paint on the walls will also seem bright since light colors reflect the light. By contrast, dark colors absorb light, which can make a room seem cozy, or depressing if it’s overdone. Take the flooring and furnishings into consideration when you choose a color range, and then make sure you love it. 

The next thing to decide is the feeling or mood you want the color to convey.

 For a great effect, you can paint one wall in a slightly darker shade on the same color strip, or paint a feature, such as a window seat or stair hollow, in a complementary or contrasting shade. This type of variety is attractive and pleasing to the eye. 

If you want something bold, choose darker shades. If you want something less bold, but still dramatic, pick the medium shades. If you want something soft and bright, choose the lightest shades. 

Cool colors (green blue, and purple) tend to recede, and thereby convey a sense of openness and space. Warm colors (Red, orange, yellow) advance, which draws in a room like a dark color. For this reason, warm rooms need to be large, have lots of light, or contain very few furnishings. 

Neutral colors are the most flexible for people who have bold furnishings or frequently change the colors of other decorating elements in the room. 

Maintaining your color

The sheen of the paint is important, too. Generally, the higher the gloss content, the easier the painted surface is to wash and maintain. High gloss paint is suitable for kitchens, door frames--any place where the painted surface is likely to come in contact with dirt, fingerprints, or moisture. 

Lower gloss finishes, such as a matte finish, generally hide flaws in the painted surface. Older homes in which there have been quite a lot of repairs or spackling done can benefit from a matte texture.

To help you collect some ideas about colors and matching, Sherwin-Williams has created an app called ColorSnap.  It’s a terrific mobile app that lets you match colors from any photo, find a color, calculate the amount of paint you need, and do some other exciting activities with paint.   

When you're ready to have your home painted, we are here to help.

M & B PAINTING, a Father-Son family-run business, has a proven record of Service Excellence in residential and commercial interior and exterior paint projects. Call us at 623-289-3366 for all of your painting needs!