Roxie My talents in life may be few but there is one thing I am confident of: I am very good with color! One of my favorite things to do with clients is to help them choose a color palette. Whether it be for their walls or their wedding, I love to work with color. It is a language that I understand, unlike Math or French. (sorry Mrs. Roberts and Madame Coley!)
Choosing a paint color can be very overwhelming. You think to yourself, “it is such a big purchase” or “there will be so much of it, I have to get it right”. Or the cop-out “maybe I’ll just go with white”. Just relax, take a deep breath, and realize that it is only paint. When I moved into my first little house after college, I painted the kitchen a horrible shade of bright blue. I managed to live with it for two days and then started slathering on the primer so I could start over.
Choosing a paint color can be very overwhelming. You think to yourself, “it is such a big purchase” or “there will be so much of it, I have to get it right”. Or the cop-out “maybe I’ll just go with white”. Just relax, take a deep breath, and realize that it is only paint. When I moved into my first little house after college, I painted the kitchen a horrible shade of bright blue. I managed to live with it for two days and then started slathering on the primer so I could start over.
It was a mistake that was easily fixed with a little extra time and a new gallon of paint. So, don’t over think and stress yourself out. Here are a few tips that I think will help you choose a color that you will be happy with for a long time!
Color is the New White!
One important thing to remember is that neutral does not always mean white or tan. You can choose a neutral color that will go with everything but is still a color! Most of the inside of my house is painted “Sea Salt” by Sherwin Williams.
Color is the New White!
One important thing to remember is that neutral does not always mean white or tan. You can choose a neutral color that will go with everything but is still a color! Most of the inside of my house is painted “Sea Salt” by Sherwin Williams.
This shade of pale blue/green has proven to be the perfect neutral for me. I have yet to find a color that I don’t like with it. Red, teal, brown, mustard, green, gray, cream…… they all work with “Sea Salt”. There are a lot of good neutral options with a hint of color.
Have a starting point.
When choosing a paint color, whether for indoors or outside, it helps to have a starting point, something for inspiration. Your starting point can take many different forms. It can be a piece of furniture, a pillow, a rug, bedding or even a painting for the wall. I have worked in situations where all of these are true. If you are not a person that feels super comfortable with color, then start with something that you are already in love with and go from there. In my bedroom, for instance, I already had bedding that I was in love with so I used those items to help guide my color choice for the walls.
Have a starting point.
When choosing a paint color, whether for indoors or outside, it helps to have a starting point, something for inspiration. Your starting point can take many different forms. It can be a piece of furniture, a pillow, a rug, bedding or even a painting for the wall. I have worked in situations where all of these are true. If you are not a person that feels super comfortable with color, then start with something that you are already in love with and go from there. In my bedroom, for instance, I already had bedding that I was in love with so I used those items to help guide my color choice for the walls.
“Misty Lake” by Olympic was the beautiful result of me listening to my bedding!
Use the many resources that are available to you.
When searching for inspiration, remember that there are endless resources available to you online, in magazines and at the paint counter. Pinterest is a wonderful place to find more color inspiration than you could ever imagine. If you can’t feel inspired by all of the beautiful pictures on Pinterest, then I am sorry, there may be no help for you! Follow our “Southern Color Palette” board on the Southern Mercantile Pinterest page to keep up with the color trends that inspire us.
When searching for inspiration, remember that there are endless resources available to you online, in magazines and at the paint counter. Pinterest is a wonderful place to find more color inspiration than you could ever imagine. If you can’t feel inspired by all of the beautiful pictures on Pinterest, then I am sorry, there may be no help for you! Follow our “Southern Color Palette” board on the Southern Mercantile Pinterest page to keep up with the color trends that inspire us.
Sherwin Williams offers many great tools on their website to help you choose the right color for your home. Use their “snap it" button to turn any image into a color palette. You can see in this example that I used one of Tara’s beautiful wedding photos to create a stunning color palette.
You can draw inspiration from the nature around you, your favorite outfit, or even your last vacation destination! The sky is the limit. The Sherwin Williams “ColorSnap” visualizer lets you upload a picture and virtually “paint” your room different colors. It’s a great way to try on different color schemes.
Most paint suppliers sell small sample jars of their paints. Once you’ve narrowed down your search you can pick up a few samples to try out before making your final commitment. Of course, I do it the old fashioned way by taping the paint chip to the wall and “living” with it for a few days.
Listen to your Home.
My final tip (and maybe most important) is to let your home and your belongings help guide your color choice. Don’t try to make the house fit a color scheme just because it may be your favorite at the time. Make sure the color scheme fits the house.
Most paint suppliers sell small sample jars of their paints. Once you’ve narrowed down your search you can pick up a few samples to try out before making your final commitment. Of course, I do it the old fashioned way by taping the paint chip to the wall and “living” with it for a few days.
Listen to your Home.
My final tip (and maybe most important) is to let your home and your belongings help guide your color choice. Don’t try to make the house fit a color scheme just because it may be your favorite at the time. Make sure the color scheme fits the house.
For instance, I am really into very dark, glossy colors right now. I think a midnight blue dining room or a forest green den would be so gorgeous and dramatic. But alas, I had to listen to my small, southern cottage and go with an airier color palette. Someday, when I have a snazzy apartment that I keep in New York City, or a big old antebellum home, I will play around with a little drama! If you live in a 60’s rancher with low ceilings don’t be afraid to lean a little more to the retro side. If you have restored an old farm house, crisp, clean and simple will probably be the way to go.
I hope these tips were helpful! Now you are all equipped to go out and conquer the world of color and figure out what palette best suits your style and your home.
I hope these tips were helpful! Now you are all equipped to go out and conquer the world of color and figure out what palette best suits your style and your home.
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