Paint Color Ideas
Cut to the color.
“The best way to deal with paint charts is to cut them up, It’s easier to cut strips or charts into individual squares of color to eliminate the options that you don’t like. Just be sure you cut them in a way that the name of the color is still there.”
Test your shade.
“Don’t just look at paint colors on a flat surface. I paint the inside of an old shoe box. That way you can see where shadows fall, or how light behaves with color in a room. Then if you’re choosing with swatches of fabric, carpet, or wallpaper, you will get a better indication of how the color will interact and alter once it’s up on four walls.”
Paint what you wear.
“People make color choices all the time – they think about it in the way they dress every day. I’ve always steered people toward experimenting with the colors that they’re comfortable wearing. Those are going to be the colors that look good in their home.”
Color is like music for your eyes.
“There’s a type of music called theme and variation, which is one melody played three of four different ways on different instruments. You can do the same thing with color. If there’s a color that you like, you can use the same colors in different rooms by changing the texture of it. If you like terra-cotta, paint one room terra-cotta, wallpaper one room in terra-cotta, and use terra-cotta fabric or tile in another. That gives you three very different personalities while sticking to a color that you’re happy and comfortable living with.”
Tart up hidden spaces.
“Places like the insides of cupboards or wardrobes that would otherwise be painted a shadowy tinted white are great for strong bursts of color. The inside of a cupboard could be painted a really shocking pink. It makes the whole idea of putting away the dishes much more inspiring. There are also transitional spaces in the home – like a hallway or stairwell – where you can use wallpaper or strong colors. You don’t spend as much time in these places, so you’re less likely to grow tired of the colors.”
