Choosing the right paint colour can be a challenge, we totally understand! Here are a few of our expert tips for selecting a colour you will love, as well as 6 of our top picks for neutrals by Benjamin Moore.
1. Look at the paint chips in the space you will actually be painting. Compare how they look in various lighting conditions, including daylight (at various times throughout the day), and under artificial light (incandescent, halogen, LED, etc)- whatever it is that lights your space! We guarantee lighting makes a huge impact on how a colour will look.
2. Consider the colour of your floor, cabinetry, trim, and ceilings, and assure that your wall paint complements the existing colours in the space. Are your kitchen cabinets stark white but you want white walls as well? Choose a softer, off-white paint colour to create warmth and subtle contrast. Certain colours do not complement each other well, so looking at the paint chips next to the existing elements is important.
3. Also consider the colour of your furniture. Have a light grey sofa against a wall? Don't choose a light grey paint in exactly the same shade, or your sofa will blend into the wall. A well designed room has a balance of light, mid, and dark tones. Even "tone on tone" rooms are best executed when there are light, medium, and darker tones of the chosen colour.
4. If you are still unsure about the colour choices, buy small sample-sized paint cans of your top 2-3 picks, and paint a small splash of each colour on a few different walls in the space to be painted. Examine your abstract artwork in all the different lighting conditions as explained above, over a couple of days. You will be more drawn to one colour than the rest, so go with your gut at this point!
5. If still in doubt and you're losing sleep over the vastly overwhelming selection of whites (isn't white just white, you thought?!), or greys (I guarantee there are more than 50 shades), the best thing to do is hire a designer for a colour consultation. The small investment will save you not only time and grey hairs, but possibly money as well- who wants to repaint an entire room because they made a bad colour choice? A pro can eliminate the pain of choosing paint colours for various applications in as little time as it took for you to read this blog (ok...we're not that fast, but seriously, we do this all the time).
Happy Painting!