5 Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make With Paint Color

Mistake #1  Colors Within Your Comfort Zone
Often colors are selected just from a likeness of the color and not from taking into consideration other key elements in a room. The style of the home, the natural light, the floor color, the height of the ceilings and size of the room, the furnishings and accessories all play an important role in selecting a room’s paint color. Select a paint color that compliments the colors of other elements in the room. This will create a sense of balance and cohesiveness to your entire home.


Mistake #2  Using Same Color on the Walls and Ceiling
When the walls and ceiling are the same color it creates a cave like feeling. You will bring more interest to the space by defining the walls and ceiling with paint colors. Your ceiling is your 5th wall. By using a color instead of white on the ceiling, it brings a horizontal space into the rest of the room and completes the look. White is very strong color and when used on a ceiling, your eye naturally gravitates to it when entering a room. Even a warm off white with undertones of gold will compliment colors in the flooring, furniture, fabrics if they all have a similar gold undertones. Make sure to balance the color of the ceiling with the floor color and tone of the wall color. Try a color instead of white for the ceiling to complete the look of the room and give it some real interest.


Mistake #3  Accent Walls
What do you want to accent or highlight in room is the first question. Consider what your eye will see when entering a room and make it interesting and not just paint color on a wall. Accenting a wall is not exciting and just draws attention to the wall. Yet accenting a beautiful piece of art or a marble mantelpiece will bring your eye to the focal point immediately and create interest and uniqueness to your home. Architectural elements, fireplaces are also good accents to highlight with paint color.



Mistake #4  Too Many Non Complementary Colors
Using too many non complementary colors creates a lot of start and stopping for your eye and often times is not pleasing. Consider your homes layout and select paint colors that have a similar undertone. A trick I use is to pretend you are a guest in your own home. Stand at the front door, close your eyes. When you open your eyes and notice what you see and where your eye is drawn to. A space can become small and choppy when you have several non complementary paint colors in adjoining rooms. By using complementary paint color tones a space will flow and feel larger. Remember less is more!


Mistake #5  White on Ceilings, Trim & Doors
So often you see a white paint color on ceilings, trim and doors in a home. Consider using other colors outside the traditional use of a white color on your ceiling, trim and doors. Perhaps try a darker tone of the wall color for the trim color and select then a different color for the ceiling. Remember to consider the flooring undertone colors and balance that with the ceiling color. Try using the same trim and ceiling color throughout the home or on the same floor. Think outside of the box and have fun!

Give Authentic Home a call if you need guidance and don't want to make mistakes with the color paint in your home or business.