No, it is not another scandalous book title. It is an unfortunate situation many homeowners find themselves struggling with daily.
I am asked all the time what the popular paint colors are. And if someone wants a white paint, they ask what THE brand and color name are. I wish it was that easy.
I recently had Stephanie Richardson from D & S Painting on my TV show, and we discussed and experimented with this issue.
Stephanie and I are always working on many projects together. I love talking paint colors with her because not only do she and her team work really hard and offer great value, but she likes to educate people and assist them in making the right paint choices. She understands the variety of dynamics involved.
When you have four walls reflecting on one another, the wall color can become more intense no matter what the color is. Any color with a base color of any amount of yellow can almost glow as the walls play off of one another. A paint color with some gray in the base can help “deaden” the effect, but too much gray and the walls will absorb any light and dull the room.
You want to consider your light source. Is there natural light, and if so, how much? Do you need to add lamps or ceiling fixtures to lighten a space and enhance your wall color?
I like to consider process of illumination. Go to the paint store and look at their color samples. Compare the samples that interest you and you will see that some will have a gray tone, some a yellow tone and maybe even a red tone. Again, as the walls reflect one another, especially where bright light is present, these base colors will give an overall glow to the room.
Every paint store will sell you samples. It is always a good idea to get samples of the paint you like and paint swatches around the room covering the shadowy corners, bright spots and the space next to a trim. Make sure to compare your swatches during the morning, noon and nighttime as walls will change their color as the day and light progresses.
Now that you are overwhelmed with your walls, your trim is next!
Many people have white baseboards, chair rail and crown molding. Again, there is no one answer for everyone, it all comes down to one’s particular tastes.
How your trim contrasts with your wall color is important. How much accent would you like? And keep in mind, your wall paint is usually a matte finish while your trim is at least an eggshell finish, having a little or a lot of shine. Playing around with samples will again be of a great help.
Now, look up! It’s a white ceiling! There are many options to paint your ceiling, but most ceilings tend to be more a bright white. It can help a room seem taller. However, if your walls are white, you might consider the same white on the ceiling. If one has more gray in the base it can appear to look dirty in contrast to it’s companion.
