One of the favorite parts of my job is to choose a paint color scheme for someone- just gets my juices flowing.
But there is a whole lot more to choosing a paint color than just picking something that looks pretty.
You must choose colors that have the correct undertone to work with the “fixed” elements of a room. And it must work with those elements in all lighting. Morning light and afternoon light are completely different. There’s a word for that. But I”ll save that for another post.
So.
Have you ever gone to a friend’s home and gasped, “Oh my gosh!! I LOOOOVVVEEEE that color!!! It would be perfect for my bedroom!!! What is it???” Your BFF says, “I know, right?? It’s Brazillian Bark from XYZ Paint Company– you simply must try it!” So off you go to XYZ Paint Company and promptly buy 5 gallons of Brazillian Bark and can’t get home fast enough to slap it on your walls.
But then.
You get it on your walls.
And you think you’re gonna be sick.
I mean, like really, really sick.
Not only because you just paid 69.99 per gallon for this fabulous new color, but because every time you look at your walls, you literally feel nauesous.
That Brazillian Bark didn’t work with the undertone in your floor, or your ceiling, or some architechtural detail. These items are the “fixed” items in your room. Items that won’t change.
Your paint choice should accentuate the features of your room. It should highlight them in such a way that you think, “Wow, I love the floors” or “Look at that fireplace, isn’t it beautiful??”
See if you can tell what I mean.
Before:
This color is actually competing with the floors. Your eye doesn’t know where to go first.
After- the new color brings out the beauty in the floors and the wood. You don’t notice the paint color, but the beutiful flooring and casings in the room.
So next time you’re told, “This is the hottest new color- you gotta try it!”- make sure it works with the elements of your room first. If you’re not sure, give me a call!
