1.) Find Inspiration in Things You Love
Think about the things in your life that make you happy and bring you peace. Inspired by nature? Look at the flowers and plants around your home and draw inspiration from the colors you consistently choose to plant around your house. Love the Southern coast? Maybe a soft haint blue inspired by southern porches, or bright airy colors inspired by seaside cottages is more your thing. Or perhaps you prefer a moodier modern home, and want to draw from the darker colors and wood tones these homes boast. Once you have a pallet in mind, you will have an idea of what color pallet to begin with.
2.) Look to the Things in Your Home
Once you have an idea of what pallet you want to achieve, look to the things in your home to nail down an exact shade. Keep in mind you don’t want the colors to be too matched, but instead you will want them to compliment the items in your home. Think about the color wheel you learned about in art class in school. The most complimentary colors are located across the color wheel from each other. If you have a pale blue couch in your living room, compliment it with a nice buttery yellow. If your inspiration is a painting with bright reds and oranges, a soft green color will look great.
3.) Decide if You Want a Neutral Palette or a Colorful One
If your home is filled with bright colors in your furniture and accessories, you may want to stick with a neutral palette. To determine the best neutral for your home, look to the neutral colors boarding on your artwork or rugs. If you have very neutral furniture and accessories you can compliment them with nice jewel-toned paint colors or soft walls with pops of colors in strategic areas.
4.) Choose the Right Paint Sheen
Once you have decided what paint color palette you want to use, make sure to choose the paint in the right sheen. Flat paint is great for covering imperfections in your walls and is great for older homes where walls may be rougher and not completely flat. Eggshell finish is a touch glossier than flat paint but is just as elegant. Eggshell paint can also be wiped down and cleaned a bit easier than flat paint, but still works to hide irregularities. Semigloss paints are great for kitchens and bathrooms, and high traffic areas where fingerprints and spills may happen.
5.) Look at Your Paint Under Different Lights
Once you have all the other elements of your paint palette decided, you’ll want to bring home a few samples and bring them home so you can test the color under different lighting. Most colors will look drastically different during the day as opposed to night, and in different areas of your space depending on how much natural light comes in. It’s important to note that different types of lighting will have an impact on your paint color so the fluorescent lights of the store will make it look different than the soft lighting in your living room lamps.
