Living in Color

Paint can go a long way in a small space.  The wrong paint choice can make a small space look smaller, too dark, or even make the entire room look horrible.   The correct paint choices can brighten a space, allude a small space to be bigger than it is, and even compliment and highlight surrounding finishes.

Not only is it important to paint the walls in a space, but it is even more important to choose the correct shade of paint!  Don't be afraid of color! 

 

Recently, my sister wanted to give her Master Bath a fresh makeover with some new paint.  Of course she turned to me to help her select the perfect paint colors.  We decided to go with two contrasting colors.  A light tan and a darker blue/gray shade, but the hard part, is finding the exact shade that works perfect in their space!

I chose URBAN PUTTY 7532 from the Warm Neutrals color family at Sherwin Williams for the beige color.  
I chose SLATE TILE 7624 from the Cool Neutrals color family at Sherwin Williams for the blue/gray color. 

See the full post of my sister's Master Bath before and after on her blog JLM Moments.

We chose this warm beige color after sifting through MANY paint swatches.  Start with a lot of swatches and hold them against the wall in your space.  Some looked too brown for the space, some were too yellow looking in her lighting, and others had a pink undertone that wasn't right for the space.  This color had a slight gray undertone and a warmth that matched her tile around the tub perfectly.  Especially in a bathroom, try to match the color to other finishes in the space.  To amp up this project a little, we chose a contrasting blue color to use around the tub and shower area which also coordinates with the Master Bedroom.  Connecting these two spaces with the blue paint, makes the entire Master Suite cohesive and all flow together.  Don't be afraid of a dark shade of paint in small doses like an accent wall.  This shade of blue was chosen because it actually looks like a honed down version of blue on the walls, without screaming sailor navy blue!  The gray undertones again coordinate with other finishes in the space making for a perfect blue accent area.  

If you are in the works of painting or re-painting a space and are getting overwhelmed with what color to choose.  For a small fee, I can help you choose the colors for your home, tell you which walls to paint what colors, and maybe even give you a painting tip like adding a wall of stripes to really get the most out of your paint job!  Paint is the least expensive thing you can do in a space that makes the biggest impact.  But choosing the wrong paint shade can cost you a lot of money.  Spend a little more and hire an Interior Designer to help with taking the guess work out of the project.  It saves a lot of time and a lot of money in the long run.  

Things to Know About Paint:

1.  You can get samples for your walls.  For just a couple of bucks you can get a small can of paint from your local paint store to paint a small section on your wall to test the color.
2.  Paint a sample on the wall and look at it at different times of day, so you can be sure you like the color in all different lights throughout the day.

3.  Choose the correct paint finish.  In a bathroom or kitchen, ALWAYS choose a SATIN finish or even SEMI-GLOSS.  NEVER use flat in any room! Having a little gloss in the paint finish will allow you to easily wipe the walls clean in a messy kitchen or bathroom.
4.  You can get paint colors from other stores matched exactly at your local hardware store - Lowe's, Home Depot, Ace Hardware.  If you find a color from Restoration Hardware or Sherwin Williams, take the paint swatch to Lowe's or other store to get an exact match for a lower priced paint.
5.  Paint will look a little different in everyone's home.  If you see a color you love on Houzz.com or Pinterest, be sure to test that color on your walls with your lighting to be sure you still like it in your home.

Learn more about painting, brushes to use, how to apply paint from the professionals at Sherwin Williams. 
And don't forget to take advantage of their Color Selection Tools.  

Now go out and paint a room in your home!  It's just paint.  If you don't like it, you can always just re-paint!