How to Pick the Perfect Paint Colors

Selecting the right colors for your home can be easier than you think. In addition to a neutral base color, every home benefits from painting some of the walls with more interesting colors. But where do you start? I suggest selecting a color palette with enough interest and variety that it can be used throughout your whole house... but we're going to approach this DIY in a slightly more ingenious way. Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that every room in your house have the same, boring, uniform look. That's not the goal and it's certainly not my recommendation. Here's how to do it right, in 3 easy steps.

Step 1: Select a Color Palette offering a variety of distinct colors that work nicely together. The one shown here, for instance, includes a deeper blue, a variety of different teals and a vibrant mustard gold. The colors play together effortlessly and have a dramatic effect when shown together. There are numerous other color palettes to select from and many of the paint manufacturers make it easy for you, by offering brand specific color palettes available at your local paint center. If you've already found yourself drawn to a particular color palette, that's great. For those of you who want a little inspiration, feel free to visit the Go-to Color Palettes board on my Pinterest Page for some fresh ideas.

Step 2: Select a Different Lead Color for each Room, but that doesn't mean your lead color must appear in the form of wall color. In fact, I strongly recommend that you don't paint a "wow" color on the walls of every room, as it would be overpowering when done in excess. Make sure several of the rooms/walls remain in your neutral base color, whether it be gray, beige, or greige. In a smaller house, I personally suggest only painting 1-2 key rooms in a dramatic wall color. And definitely make sure those rooms have lots of natural light to avoid a cave-like mood. Now, getting back to your lead color... you might be wondering how to showcase your lead color, since I've advised you to not always express it with painted walls. Your lead color, in any given room, can easily show up in other ways. Consider showcasing a room's lead color in your upholstered chairs, wallpaper, art, area rugs, or bedding. For the color palette we're looking at in this article, you might assign a lighter teal to the master bedroom, a deeper blue for the dining room and a mustard gold that resides in the office. If this task sounds too daunting, I'm happy to offer my support. Simply email me to tell me a little about your project/home and I'll respond to let you know how I can be of service.

Step 3: Pull in Supporting Color from your palette. The secondary colors you choose for each room are what provide visual interest and appeal. These secondary colors can show up as accents or pops of color in almost any accessory, including throw pillows, tabletop decor, books, and flowers/stems. You'll find that this last step is what truly completes the room and gives your space a professionally finished look. More importantly, adding 1-2 supporting colors to each room will give the house a cohesive feel. When walking from room to room, everything will feel connected, yet each room should have a unique spin that gives it interest.

I find this approach is fairly easy to implement, and I hope you do too. However, there are exceptions to every rule and I want to point out an important one. The first exception that always comes to mind would be kid's bedrooms. I'm a big believer in self-expression for kids, so boxing a child into your chosen color palette just isn't necessary. Allow your child to select a color palette that they love for their bedroom, even if it doesn't play by the color rules of the rest of the house. And do your best not to judge their color choices. This will teach your child that she can be comfortable expressing her authentic self and that perfection is not always the standard to live by. This, my friend, may be the most important lesson of today's blog.

If this DIY paint color plan is more than you feel comfortable taking on, call Jodi Maturo Design at 303-378-1220 or email me at JodiMaturo@gmail.com. It’s not uncommon to struggle with finding the perfect paint colors for your home, but once you do, you’ll have a color plan to keep you on target with every décor decision you make.

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