So, you've decided it's time to add a new splash of paint to your walls? If only the task was as easy as choosing your colors, picking-up your pots, and bringing out the brushes! Any good interior designer in Seattle, Miami, or New York knows that as well as planning things carefully and taking time over your choices, there are a few rules to revamping your walls that can make all the difference.
1. One wall doesn't have to equal one color! Get clued up about painting techniques that can add subtle or dramatic differences to your room. Use stencils or stamping kits to add details like your favorite flowers or classy borders. Or you might choose a mural - perhaps of a fireplace you wished you had or a fun collage for the children's nursery. If you're no Picasso, mural kits are inexpensive and easy to use. Techniques like sponging and ragging (using a sea sponge or household rag rubber-banded to a paint-roller) produce beautiful depth and texture when added onto a base of paint. And some paint brands are already textured to give you special finishing, e.g. suede-look or wood-finish.
2. Don't just think color, think light! Consider the balance of light in your room, not just the balance of colors. Think of the way an outside landscape is typically lighted - the earth is dark and as you look up to the sky, you see more light. Copy Mother Nature's example, and surely you won't go wrong. Paint your room by choosing darker colors for the floor, medium shades for the walls, and lighter shades for the ceiling.
3. Spend a day with your paint swatches. Colors painted onto walls can vary in appearance in different rooms and under different light. Apply test squares of your chosen paints on your walls. Observe how the colors look throughout the day, especially during times when you use the room the most. If you use a room mainly at night, you'll want your paint to go well with your lighting.
4. Don't just compliment your furnishings, enhance them! You're sure to choose color schemes that compliment your furniture, but you might want to choose ones that really highlight your room's best assets. Paint your walls in colors that are already found in a favorite rug or wall hanging and you'll really highlight their attractiveness.
5. Colors have feelings too! Think about how certain colors make you feel before you make your final choices. Soft colors like violet, blue, and green don't demand your attention and are soothing to the senses, creating feelings of calm and peace. Hard or warm colors like red, orange, and yellow, are bright and draw the eye. They convey energy and encourage cheerfulness. Finally, earth tones like brown, beige, gray, and taupe are muted colors and create elegant and sophisticated looks. But be careful - if not well balanced with enlivening colors to compliment them, these colors may prove too dull or quiet. Happy painting!
By:Amely Wurmbrand
