Browsing Tag

choosing paint

HOME DECOR, INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS

Paint Colour Concept for the Whole Home

paint-colour-concept-whole-home

When it comes to a paint colour concept you really need to think about the whole home.  We just finished meeting with some clients earlier today to put together their paint colour concept – they have hired a painter to start later in the week and during our paint consultation we discussed the idea of a paint colour concept for the whole home – even though they aren’t thinking of paitning the entire home at this stage.

Photo credit : HomeBunch – This mudroom is painted in ‘Stonington Gray’ by Benjamin Moore

What is a paint colour concept?

Basically it is a plan with a series of colours for the whole home.  The colours all work together even though they may be different – there is a fluidity to the whole look, so as you walk through the home room by room the colours will work in a cohesive manner.

You may not be ready right now (for a variety of reasons) to paint the entire home now but if you have a plan you can focus on the rooms to paint now and still know what the overall look and feel of the space will be.  Be sure to record and file all of the paint info – so brand, name and code – you can refer to it when you are ready to paint the next set of rooms.

What to know when making your paint colour concept?

You really need to understand the lighting in your home.  Which rooms have a lot of light (natural or otherwise) and at what time of day.  Paint looks different in different lights – natural vs artificial, it also looks different depending on the amount of light and time of day.  So we always suggest to clients to paint test swatches on the wall and take a look at them at various points in the day.  Be sure you like the colour at all times of day before fully committing.

Our clients wanted a light and airy look with some ‘beachy’ inspiration without going too literal – their furniture is most neutral (think light warm grey sofas and coffee hardwood floors).  the home is an older home with original interior doors and baseboards, they wanted to maintain that character but give the home a fresher and more current feel.

Here is the paint colour concept we put together for our clients:

Benjamin Moore ‘Balboa Mist’ OC-27 is perfect for their hallways and guest bedroom – it is a soft and warm grey tone and it is one of our favourites to work with.

Benjamin Moore ‘Stonington Gray’ HC-170 is another favourite of ours – it is a true gray that adds some really pigmentation on the wall without being too deep and it has a great freshness about it too.  This is for the dining room (and will be paired with a farmhouse inspired table)

‘Silver Half Dollar’ 2121-40 by Benjamin Moore is a colour that’s really inspired by the beach (not just in name). We chose this for the living room – it is one of the brighter rooms in the house and they wanted a bit more colour in the room that they spend the most time in.

There master bedroom is on the top floor in an attic space – so the sloped ceilings add architectural detail to their master but the ceilings are also a bit lower – so we opted for a light and airy white.  This is a clean and calming tone for the room and offers with great contrast to the dark coffee floors plus this means they have a lot of options for accent colours in bedding and more  – We selected ‘White Heron’ OC-57 by Benjamin Moore.

The homeowners  are happy with some of the existing colours in the home – such as the kitchen and bathrooms (so previous owners must have really focused on where to spend their money when prepping the home for the resale market as the bathrooms and kitchens all had a fresh coat of paint). So we worked with those tones along with their own tastes to create a a whole home paint colour concept.

A paint colour conept is a great way to stay focused on your style and have a designer look in your home…

0 comment
Share:
HOME DECOR, INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS

How To Pick The Right Paint Colour

how-to-pick-right-paint-colour

So you’ve decided to paint!  That’s the easy part.  Picking the right paint colour is the next step and there’s a lot to consider.  Sure, you could walk into a store, grab a paint chip you like, buy the paint and go home but….you will likely end up with a colour that just doesn’t work in your space.

 

So….if you are looking to paint – ask yourself these 10 questions BEFORE committing to a colour.

 

1.  Where am I in the decorating process?

If you are totally starting from scratch – so no floors, furniture, tiles etc…then you do have a lot of options.  Have a colour in mind, say grey tones, when it comes to make those selections and bring the paint fan with you so you can find a colour that works with everything. But if you have fixtures in place – flooring, sofa, other furniture, window dressings, wall paper etc… you will need to work with those items (unless you are doing a total room over haul).  So once the items you want to keep are in place start fanning through different colour options.

 

2.  How do I know if it is a colour I love?

In order to know for sure if you are going to absolutely love a paint colour – you do need to see it on the walls.  When it comes to narrowing down your choice – trust your gut!  Don’t let others tell you what to do – an opinion is fine as long as they have you and your taste in mind.  If you like deep colour or bold colour – go for it, it’s only paint!

 

3.  Am I rushing into this?

Take a breathe and take your time selecting your colour or colours.  Sit in your space and think about the mood you want and how you want it to feel for yourself and others.  Then look toward colours that support that mood. Take the time to test colours and look at them day and night.

 

4.  Have I looked at paint chips?

Going to a decorating store or a hardware store and seeing the walls of paint chips can be very intimidating – there is so much to look at.  Trying leafing through magazines before going to look at chips, and look at decorated rooms – that would help you focus on not only a decor style but a colour palette, too.  That way you have some direction and can easily weed out what you don’t want.

 

5.  Have I tried any samples?

Still uncertain? but narrowed down to a few options? Don’t rely on just the chip – get yourself some samples.  Buy a quart or pint of paint and paint swatches on your walls – don’t worry they will cover up when you actually start painting.

 

6.  Have I looked at the sample more than once?

Now that you have painted a few swatches on your walls.  Keep the swatches up for a few days before totally committing.  For some, this new paint (especially if it is very different from the old paint) can take a while for the shock to wear down. Be sure to look at the swatches throughout the day as the light changes, the colour may
appear different, too.  Make sure you like the colour day and night.

 

7.    What other colours am I using?

Likely your paint colour won’t be the only colour in the room.  Be sure that the wall paint colour will work harmoniously with the other colours in the room such as flooring, furniture, and textiles, even wallpaper.

 

8.  Have I considered the room?

Before you choose the paint colour, pay attention to the room.  How much light does it have? In south facing rooms, colours run very true.  North facing rooms tend to be darker so the colours will look different.  And, in east facing rooms, the colour looks a little blue. Do you have high ceilings? With high ceilings you can get away with going bolder and deeper than with standard ceiling height.

9.  What’s my sheen of choice?

So the sheen is very important – it affects how the light is either absorbed or reflected by the wall colour.  Higher sheen like a semi gloss or gloss will reflect more light from the surface so the colour will be deep and rich.  A flat or eggshell will absorb light creating a dryer looking colour.  If your walls aren’t perfect, opt for a flat finish to disguise the imperfections.

10.  Am I too hesitant?

Painting a room should take about a weekend of your time.  Compared to other projects it’s straightforward and cost effective.  Plus it makes a huge impact and when you tire of the colour – it’s an easy update!

We love what paint can do for a space … be sure to use your colour preferences as a guide and pick your colour based on the space itself …

 

0 comment
Share: