13 Tips for Selecting the Right Colors for Your Home’s Interior

Custom Care By Caleb on July 1, 2022

interior painting orlando
The right interior painting colors and styles will tie everything in your central Florida home together. But with thousands of choices out there, finding that perfect match may require some trial and error. Here’s how we get the perfect shade every time.

13 Tips for Selecting the Right Color for Your Home’s Interior

1.  Get Inspired From Design References

Don’t start the paint search without an idea of what you like. It’s a mistake to navigate through the thousands of paint samples at the store when you don’t have a direction. If you’re starting from scratch, get some inspiration to guide you before you select paint colors. Flip through magazines, refer to interior design websites, and visit Pinterest for inspiration about interior painting color palettes and design styles.

2. Choose Paint That Goes With Existing Decor and Furniture

You may already have an existing space to work with that you’re looking to update. Instead of choosing your paint color first and deciding how you will decorate the room, first decide what you will keep from your space and what furniture and decor you will replace. Once you have all of your main items, you can use the colors from these pieces to decide on your paint. It’s much easier to match paint to your furniture than the other way around.

3. Narrow Down Your Color Scheme to Create a Palette

Visiting the paint store can be disheartening if you don’t know what colors you want. With all of the options to choose from, how will you pick the colors you’ll use in your home? To save time and pick the right colors from the start, narrow down your color scheme before you even get to the paint store. You’ll already have the colors from your furniture and decor to match, which will make things easier.

From these pieces, pick your top few favorite colors that you’d like to build your entire home around, and then choose a paint color palette of 5-10 colors. Make sure you understand if your home has a warm or a cool color palette so you can match your paint accordingly.

4. Take Some Swatches Home 

The way the paint looks in the store may look different within your home. That’s why you should always take some swatches of paint home with you. You can hold up swatches to your furniture and decor to get an exact color match and determine which shades are the most complementary to your space.

5. Notice How Colors Change Central Florida Lighting

See if your store has large tester swatches that you can hang on your walls or paint samples you can use to envision the final look. Then hang swatches throughout the rooms of your central Florida home and leave them there for a few days. When you’re walking around your house during the day and turning on the lights in the evening, take a look at how the colors change in different lighting.

 

Certain areas of your home may be more exposed to brighter, warmer sunlight during the day and will need to balance the warmth with a cooler undertone. Rooms that face north typically have cooler natural lighting, so the opposite logic would apply.

6. Pay Attention to Interior Painting Finish

Both the color of the paint you choose and the finish will affect how it looks when it’s dry. Consider the different kinds of finishes for the look you want to achieve. A satin finish is a matte look that hides wear and is best for the areas of your home that get a lot of traffic. Semi-gloss and glossy paint are ideal for trim because their shiny look draws the eye and reveals any imperfection.

More formal rooms of your house or more private spaces like the master bedroom can be a good choice to use glossier finishes. Contrasting different finishes throughout the rooms of your house creates will add more interest.

7. Consider Colors That Fit Your Needs

Take a second to step away from the colors you love to make sure that there is an overlap with what you need in the space. Although you may want a bright, glossy sheen to transform your room, it may not be the best idea if you have young ones running around with markers. Certain colors and finishes are particularly adept at hiding scuffs and wear.

If your style changes with the seasons, that bright yellow that seems friendly and inviting now may bore you in a few months’ time. Using a neutral color instead and changing up wall art and accent pieces will give you artistic freedom without the added work. Speaking of neutral colors, if you’re thinking of selling your central Florida property soon, it’s best to go with universally appealing colors so you don’t drive away any buyers.

9. Establish Your Mood for the Space

It’s no secret that certain colors affect the way we think and feel. Use color psychology when you’re deciding on paint colors so you can create the mood you want for each space. Softer colors like blues create a relaxed environment, light shades open up rooms for an airy feel, and warmer, richer colors like dark green match the vibe of a study or library.

 

10. Use Similar Shades to Create Depth

With thousands of available paint shades, your chosen color will always have at least one or two near-identical matches. You can use these hues to add subtle changes to your walls that will change your entire perception of the room. For instance, say your dining room has a low ceiling that you wish wasn’t as noticeable.

 

By painting the ceiling a lighter shade of the wall color, you’ll break up the edges of the walls and the ceiling to make the room seem taller. Using a lighter shade rather than the same shade will make the room feel bright and open rather than boxy.

8. Don’t Be Afraid to Mix Two Paint Colors in One Room

If you’re looking for something a little bolder than different shades of the same color, you may want to consider mixing two paint colors in one room. One of the most common ways to mix different shades is by designating an accent wall that’s painted with one of the bright accent colors within your palette.
 
For the boldest statement on your wall, add another pattern to your room with wallpaper or by asking an interior painting Orlando team to add a design. On the other hand, you can still mix paint colors in one room if you have used a few accent colors and statement pieces. In this case, use a few neutral colors instead.

11. Balance the Intensity of Colors

Even a small piece of furniture or a few decorative pillows can be statement pieces in the room. Often, these pieces will have the brightest colors and most unusual textures. Let these elements of a room shine with the appropriate paint color. This doesn’t mean you have to shy away from color, but you do need to understand the difference between strong and muted colors.

 

Strong colors are the bold, intense hues that immediately catch your eye: emerald green, cobalt blue, firetruck red, and bright yellow. Meanwhile, their softer counterparts complement them without competing for your attention. If you’d like your interior painting job to bring out the striking blue shades in a rug, go for a toned-down version of the color.

12. Remember That True White Is Rarely the Best Choice

Most of us think of white when we think of neutral paint colors, but choosing true white for the walls in your central Florida home is rarely the best option. Interior design philosophy often applies the principle that 60% of the color in a room should come from the walls. A plain white wall often will make it seem like something is missing, even with the right decor and furniture. A light cream or a soft tan will give your room enough color to make the space feel complete.

13. Sleep on It

Last but not least, give yourself a bit of time. Leave up the samples on your walls for a few days (they should be at least a few feet tall and wide) and notice how you feel about it. Your favorite initial swatch may become the shade that you never want to look at again after a few days. If you’re trying to decide between a few similar shades, you may want to put swatches in a few areas around the room so you can see which color interacts best with everything.

Choosing the right color is only the first step of a great paint job. Now it’s time to call in the experts in central Florida. A team of interior painting contractors will bring in high-quality products, refined tools, and a thorough work ethic to give you a paint job that will last. Your accent and patterned wall ideas can add well-executed appeal to your home. Contact us at Custom Care by Caleb to get a quote.