How to Pick the Right Paint Color for Your Space
Let's check your vibe. Do you feel energized and refreshed by vibrant and saturated colors, or do you feel more restful and content with moody and lighter colors? Understanding how lighting affects the look you're aiming for will ultimately enhance your home's overall appearance and feel.
While choosing the right color and lighting for your home can be tricky, don't worry, I'm here to break it down for you…
The Impact of Changing Light
Have you ever gone through the trouble of sifting through paint swatches at the hardware store and decided on what you thought was the perfect color for your room, only for it to look completely different once it's actually applied to your walls? Frustrating, I know.
This is due to colors taking on different hues depending on the light that is cast upon them. A single shade could look different from the paint aisle to your home, from room to room, or even based on the time of day.
Consider Natural Light
Natural light always showcases true color, for better or worse. Warmer tones tend to emphasize yellow undertones, while bright white tones bring out cooler tones in your paint color. This means that it is important to consider how much light hits your room, how many windows the space has, what direction it comes in from, and what the impact of the climate and seasons may be where you live. Don't forget that shadows or lack of light can have just as much impact, too.
The Effects of Artificial Light
Do you know that lightbulbs have ratings? They are classed A-G, with A-class bulbs being the highest in quality and efficiency because they use less energy. Additionally, lightbulbs are divided into three categories. In class A or B, you'll find category number one, compact fluorescents.
In class D, you'll find halogen bulbs. In class E or F, you'll find incandescent bulbs. The higher the class of the bulb, the more lumens, the brighter light, and the fewer lumens, the dimmer light. Stick with me—so basically, when you go out to buy lightbulbs, you want to think lumens, not watts.
LEDs, Light-Emitting Diodes, are the most efficient and have a wide variety of ratings. Some fixtures even have an LED lamp already built in. I recommend that you consult a lighting specialist when selecting LED lamps (bulbs) to achieve the best results for the room.
When trying to decode the effects of artificial light, just remember that bulbs with higher color temps typically enhance the appearance of darker colors, making them look brighter. On the contrary, lighter colors may seemingly be washed out under these color temperatures.
Whatever you choose, be consistent so that the color in your space looks consistent throughout the space.
To learn more about choosing the best light bulbs for your home, read Healthy Home Lighting.
Preview Paint Swatches
I always recommend that you preview all colors in your home before committing. Tack up large paint swatches on the wall so you can truly observe your tentative color in all the lights and at all times of day to help you make an informed decision. This will save you stress, time, and money in the long run. You can order large paint swatches through your designer or on Samplize for a small fee.
Once you have a solid feel for what that paint color will look like in your specific room, you will know whether to give it a green or a red card.
Expert Color Guidance
As an experienced interior designer, I truly understand how lighting affects the colors in your home. At this stage of my career, my color qualifications are exceptional, and, as always, I am here and ready to help you. With our Whole House Paint Color Palette package, together, we can choose a color palette that you love from sunrise to sunset!
Warmly,
Celeste
