Tips for Choosing the Right Paint Color

Selecting the right paint color for your walls can be one of the most intimidating tasks of designing a space.

I strongly believe that a paint color can make or break a space; a bright, cool color in a room with little to no natural light can be a bit sad; but that same color in a room with floor to ceiling windows can appear luxurious and crisp. And we all know that there are at least 20 different shades of white, that without fail, will look different in every space. 

I know it can become quite stressful to pick colors for your home, especially if indecisiveness runs in your nature. You want to get that color right to tie your space together, and I want you to get that color right too!

So here are some of my top tips and tricks for selecting the right paint color: 

Look at Various Different Channels for Inspiration

First you need to envision the space and ask yourself “what is my personal decor style?”. For me that answer comes easily, but if you’re still trying to figure that out, I recommend looking at different accounts and images for inspiration. Pinterest is a go-to of mine, but I also use other channels like Instagram and Google for inspiration.

Use a Fan Deck

When selecting the right color, I like to start with a paint fan deck. A fan deck helps to showcase different shades and intensities from various color families. It is a very helpful tool when finding complementary and corresponding colors for furniture, accent walls, and decor. A fan deck helps me narrow down some colors based on my initial thought. You can also go to the paint store and look the small color chips if you don’t have your own fan deck. 

Pro Tip: If starting with a fan deck overwhelms you, start with Pinterest by searching “Sherwin Williams Warm Gray” or “Best Benjamin Moore White Paint” – That will automatically narrow it down to some tried and true colors for you.

Look at Specific Colors in Certain Spaces

While you’re using Pinterest, Google or Instagram, look up the colors that you are leaning towards. It’s helpful to see an entire room or cabinets painted in a color you are considering. Sometimes you can be way off base, and by doing this simple search, it can help you color correct. From there you can go back and start searching for individual colors to see if you like how they look in other spaces. We all know that every color looks different in every space so take this with a grain of salt and move on to the next step!

Samples, Samples, Samples

So, you’ve narrowed it down to 3 or 4 colors, now what? How do you pick the perfect one? Samples! Go to your local paint store and get samples of each color and poster board that you can paint the sample on. You can paint it on the wall, but poster board is easier because you can move it around to see how it looks on each wall. You can also save it for future paint color selections!

Pro Tip: Do not pick a paint color based on how it looks in someone else’s room or based on the color card. You need to see the actual paint in YOUR room! Take those paint color cards and move it all around the room. See how the color looks in the morning vs the afternoon. Does a not so welcoming undertone show up or are you happy with the color at all times of the day?

Needless to say, the right color should reveal itself to you. Yes, it might take a little trial and error with some samples and a little bit of time doing your research but hopefully with my tips, you can be confident in picking the perfect shade for your space!