Common Errors Made When Choosing Paint Colors

– Advice from Professionals on what NOT to do –

With there being endless options, choosing the right paint colors for your home can be quite overwhelming.  The wrong color, wrong shade, or even the wrong finish can be extremely frustrating and quite costly (and time-consuming) to fix. That is why our professionals have put together an article including the most common errors made when choosing paint colors so you can avoid all stress and irritation! Check it out >>>

1. Not Taking Natural Light into Consideration

Many people believe that choosing a dark color for a room, or cabinetry, will make a bold statement; however, this often leads to a lack of natural light that can make a room feel enclosed and dark. To avoid this mistake, always consider the amount of available natural light in the room. If your room brings in little to no natural light for the majority of the day, it might be best to stray away from darker shades and stick to lighter colors that will brighten up the room.

A good way to bring in a dark color to a room that does not absorb much natural light is as an accent wall – paint one wall dark, and the other three light.  This will bring in that same dramatic effect without making your room feel dark and cramped.

2. Painting Every Room the Same Color, and Vise Versa

No paint color will look the same way in every room.

Choosing just one color might be the quickest and easiest option, but it will give your home a bland and stiff vibe. If you adore one specific color, consider using lighter and darker shades in different rooms based on the lighting. to give your home some variety.

At the end of the day, balance is key when painting your home. You do not want every room to be the same color, but you also do not want every room to look completely different. If you decide to go with a palette of neutrals, don’t forget to add a few bold colors, and vice versa. 

3. Choosing the Wrong Finish

The higher the sheen, the higher the shine! 

When painting walls that have a good amount of visible impurities, it is best to use a finish that does not have a high shine (i.e. Matte). The glossiness will accentuate the problems and highlight every defect on your walls 🥴 

Our painters recommend Matte on all walls, Semi-Gloss on all trim, and Flat on all ceilings. If you are looking for a shinier finish in your kitchen and bathroom (which a lot of clients do) we recommend using Eggshell as it will not show impurities as much as a semi or high gloss would and it is easy to clean.

For more information on what finish to use, jump to this article from Home Depot on Types of Paint Finishes >>

4. Basing your Decision off of a Paint Swatch

ALWAYS test the color on your walls before committing to it! 

Even if you think you are 100% set on a swatch color, you should still test it on your walls to see how it is going to look on each wall with different lighting at various times of the day.

The same rule applies for any color you have seen at someone else’s home. The exact same paint color can look drastically different when used in different settings.

If you do not want to test the paint on the wall, you can paint a poster board and hold it up to the wall. Obviously, this. is not going to be as accurate, but it will be a close match.

5. Not Considering the Mood of the Room

Lastly, it is important to take into consideration the vibe you want to give off in each room. For example, when you think of a bedroom, you think of a calm, intimate and relaxing environment. Therefore, you would not paint this room a neon orange. Instead, you should lean towards softer neutrals with a darker accent wall to give the room comfortable feel.