Choosing a Paint Color and Sheen

Tips on picking or matching a color and selecting the right sheen.
How do I select the right color for my walls? There is no right or wrong color, but here are some simple tips:

Take your furniture and window treatments into consideration. There's nothing like spending all of that time, effort and money on painting a room only to realize that it doesn't match the tone of the rest of the room.

Collect pictures from magazines and the internet. When you decide to paint a room, don't jump right in. Start to look through other people's choices until you find a combination you think will complement your own style and furnishings.

Use color cards. Take a trip to your local Westlake and grab some color cards that you like. Take them home and put them next to your couch, your bedspread, your curtains -- anything that will start to give you an idea of what matches and what doesn't. Reminder: color on a wall is usually a lot more powerful than on the color card. It's not a bad idea to go a shade or two lighter than the color you like on a card.

Pick the right white. Not all whites are actually white. True white is a very harsh color in most rooms. It's simply too bright and sterile. Most whites have a hint of tan, pink or blue. Those are usually better for most homes than true white.

Know what colors can do for a room. If you want to warm up a room, try shades of reds, oranges or yellows. If you want to cool a room, go with blues, greens and grays.

Test before you paint. Buy a small amount of paint in the complementary colors you like (one for trim, one for the walls). Paint a board with each shade of paint beside the other to see how they look together. You can also use a small section of wall in the actual room you'll be painting. This may help you visualize the color scheme in context a little better than a painted board.

Test again. Try a couple of different colors. Try dozens more if you need. By buying small amounts of paint and testing them, you could save yourself the time and money of painting a room, not liking the results and painting again.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• paint tips
• color
• selecting paint