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Having a home that you love takes time and energy, which are two things most people want more of! That is why it is important to do your homework when you are ready to start on your next painting project. Here are my easy and fail proof steps to take to ensure you select the right paint colors for your home today!
- Feel First. Determine how you want to feel in the space prior to looking at paint chips or fan decks. This will help you stay focused on your end result which is your desired feeling.
- Be a stranger in your own home. Stand at your front door and close your eyes. Then open your eyes and experience what you see. This exercise will help you select colors that are complementary since you will see several spaces.
- Review and determine the undertone color of the existing hard surfaces, elements such as the floor, countertop, and cabinet colors and furnishings, furniture, lighting and accessory colors, when selecting for the walls, ceilings, door and trim paint colors.
- Always test your paint color before you purchase. How many of us, yes me included, have more than 1 quart of “oops” paint in your basement, colors you thought would work and didn’t! Most paint companies have inexpensive sample cans that are perfect for testing.
- Apply 2 coats of the paint color on both the walls and ceilings in different parts of your space. It is important to see both the wall and ceiling colors next to each other to get a clear visual of how the color will look throughout the entire space. Review the colors over a few days to experience the color shifts from the changes in the natural light.
As a color consultant for over 9 years, I have experienced a lot of frustration and stress from people trying to select paint colors. My advice to you is to take your time, feel first and sample your paint colors. This is the first step in transforming your home and yourself, so enjoy the process!
Kathy Banak is an interior designer, color consultant, and founder of Authentic Home, interior design. Over the past 9 years I have owned and operated several paint stores and know first hand the frustration and stress many people experience when selecting paint colors. And for many it could take months and sometimes years to make the decision. There simply are just too many paint color choices available on the market today that people just get overwhelmed.
Check out my Authentic Home Blog and connect with me on Facebook and Twitter!
Fail fast? What kind of advice is that?! Think about it. You have this brilliant idea, you’re infatuated with it, and you *know* it will be bigger than Beanie Babies and Harry Potter combined. How terrible are you going to feel if you invest your life savings, hours away from your family, and precious alone time into this venture and it fails? Do your homework. Test the waters. Find out if it will work and get it out of your system if it’s not worth it – as fast as you can. A great way to do this is “prototyping” your business before you actually launch to see if it will be the hit you’re hoping for. CRAVE founder, Melody Biringer, learned this first hand, and this month she’s sharing her lessons about prototyping businesses and failing fast. We also have great blog posts from CRAVE entreprenesses sharing their valuable tips and insights based on their experiences. Stay tuned!