Spring Painting Tips for choosing the right paint for your home

Spring is here!!  Are you getting the itch to redecorate your home?  I am!!!  Spring painting is really the easiest and best way to give your room a face lift without a redo.  And I love to paint! So yeah I get a little excited when I get to paint.  Spring painting can really transform your home to something new and fresh.

When choosing a paint for your home there are some things you need to take into consideration. First you need to consider the room your painting and the type of finish application you want for that room.  The finish selections available are flat, flat enamel/mate, satin/egg shell, low sheen enamel, low luster, semi gloss, medium luster/gloss, and high gloss.  All these options are available from Sherwin Williams’ paints, but be sure to check the finish options out on your brand of paint. More simply the basic finish options are flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and gloss.  Rule of thumb when choosing a finish, areas that will get wet or dirty and need to be cleaned easily, use a satin or higher.  The more sheen the easier to clean.  But keeping in mind that the higher the sheen the more the paint will show imperfections in the wall.  So if you have lots of holes from art work that you took down, you will see those patches easier.   The lower the sheen the more the paint will buff or scratch.  So if you kick the wall, rub against it or get it wet, it may very well show a mark. I prefer satin or eggshell.  If I could say I had a favorite all around paint finish, those would be it!

Another thing to consider when choosing a paint color is the size of the room.  Generally speaking, the darker the color the smaller it will make the room look.  But dark colors are OK in certain circumstances, for example if there is a lot of light in the room and if your trying to make a big impact.  If you accent the wall color with white trim and moldings it will draw attention to the wall and make it pop!

When choosing colors for your home, my rule is to be harmonious. Using the color wheel and keeping your colors within the design compliments will help too.  Make sure your not going from white in one room to navy blue in the next and brown in the next, etc.  It’s best to choose a subtle flow between rooms, especially if its an open concept and don’t have doors between the rooms.  Now if you do have doors and your kids want a pink room or orange room, keeping the paint colors in the same hue value.  What do I mean, well simplest way to explain it without getting too detailed, is if your looking at a paint deck the row of colors across from each other on different swatches are the same tint, tone or shade. Staying within your same tint is best. Top to bottom on a paint swatch is the hue (or colors) value.  The color wheel explains it all very well!  Check out the picture below.  A lot of paint companies will group colors that work well together to make it easier.  If I’ve confused you, and your just not sure, ask your paint pro!

The first consideration when painting is your surroundings in the room.  What colors are in your furniture, draperies and artwork in your room?  As a designer I say, always paint last.  You should pull your colors from your surroundings.  So if you have a favorite pillow or area rug with multiple colors in the pattern, pull your wall color from those colors.  It’s as easy as that!  Some department stores and paint stores will even color match your fabric if you bring the fabric into the store.

OK so if your looking for something different, consider painting your ceiling! Here are some creative tips on ways you can paint your ceiling:

• Light vs. dark- lighter ceilings generally make the room feel larger, while darker ceilings feel smaller.  Use this factor to create your room’s feel.
• Paint finish- as mentioned above finish plays a roll in the ceiling as well.  Flat paint is best for ceilings because higher sheen paints can draw attention to flaws. But if your ceiling is in near-perfect condition, an eggshell or satin finish can add subtle reflective quality, especially in dark colors.
• White walls- if you just want a pop of color in a room, keep the walls white or neutral and paint the ceiling a bold color that is reflected in the room decor through window treatments. throw pillows or other accents.
• All one color- Using the same color on the walls and the ceiling can evoke a soothing mood, making it a good choice for a bedroom or bath.  It’s a good way to simplify the look of an oddly shaped room or one with a multi-angled ceiling.

If you want to unify the look but still want a little contrast, paint the ceiling a lighter shade of the wall color.  Use a ratio of 80% white and 20% wall color for a light but still colorful ceiling.

For more great paint tips and color ideas check out Sherwin Williams’ website where they have a paint color visualizer:

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