Selecting Colors for a Painting Project

CONCORD – One of the most challenging aspects of a residential painting project is selecting colors. After all, even if your painting contractor does a great job, if you don’t like the colors, you’re not going to be happy with the results. That’s why, if you’re planning to repaint your home, you should start thinking about your color selection far in advance.

The first thing step in selecting colors is to visit your local paint store and browse sample swatches. After narrowing down your options to a few primary choices, test how these colors look in your home. Purchase some sample quarts (they usually cost about $5 each) and apply the paint to wall sections throughout your home. This will give you an opportunity to not only see how the colors look in your home, but to actually live with them for a few days as well. Don’t worry about messing up your current wall paint—it’s going to be painted over soon anyway.

Since light affects the way your brain perceives color, it’s important to test colors in various areas of your home where lighting may differ. The same holds true for the exterior of your home, where you should test colors both in the front and back, and in shade as well as sunlight. By taking your time to consider and test paint colors, you’ll be able to make a well-considered choice rather than an educated guess.