Painting a room can be a fairly easy way to quickly transform and update a space. But if you’re having a dickens of a time in choosing a paint color, you’re not alone. It might make you feel better to know that according to research done by paint manufacturers, it typically takes a home owner an average of four months to decide on a paint color.
Here are some tips to make the process a lot less painful:
- Pare down your color choices. Focus on a narrow, curated palette from the get-go, which will help you to not become overwhelmed. In other words, limit your selection for the sake of your sanity. For instance, check out the hottest paint colors for 2019 and choose from those.
- Try the color on. Before your make a commitment, paint some swatches using samples of the colors you’re considering right on your walls so you can see exactly how the color will look in the space, and how it will be affected by your lighting and shadows. Don’t worry how crazy it looks – it will all be concealed when you paint over it. You can get small sample size cans of paint for this very purpose. A lot of paint suppliers now also offer peel and stick color samples – a great way to try out a color without the need for mini cans of paint and partially painted walls.
- Shine a light on it. Before making a decision, be sure to look at potential paint colors at different times of day and evening, and in different types of lighting to get the full impact of the color. Illuminate the sample with the exact type of lighting you’ll be using in the room to take the color for a test drive.
- Don’t forget the primer.Primer serves as a base coat that creates the foundation for a flawless paint job. It covers imperfections, creates a uniform surface, and neutralizes the color so the paint color you’ve chosen appears in its truest, most brilliant form. Keep in mind that if you are painting a matte paint over top a higher-gloss finish, you may need two coats of primer. This is also true if you’re switching from a darker to a lighter hue.