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How to Choose the Right Paint Color for Your Home

It’s about tone, intensity and creating a balance between style and function

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Shades of grey highlight architectural detailing including trim, molding, and ceiling design in an otherwise neutral room designed by Lori Morris.

Brandon Barré
Shades of grey highlight architectural detailing including trim, molding, and ceiling design in an otherwise neutral room designed by Lori Morris.
Brandon Barré

Each week Mansion Global tackles an interior design topic with an elite group of designers from around the world who work on luxury properties. This week we look at how to choose the right paint color for your home.

Paint is like the ultimate wardrobe for your walls. It can set a mood, define a look, and also influence the perception of space.

"Paint can make a space calmer, more exciting, and feel more spacious, but it is the correct tone, intensity, and amount of paint that brings balance," said Deborah Wecselman, founder of DWD Inc., a Miami-based interior design firm.

Color is subjective. And people’s reaction to even the same hue can differ.

"Some people do well with dark spaces and feel this is their cocoon, others need light and airy," Ms. Wecselman said.

"When it comes to choosing paint, remember there is no right or wrong choice. Paint is personal, and it’s about what feels right to you for your own home," said Erika Woelfel, VP Color & Creative Services at Behr Paint.

Take your color cues from these top tips from the pros.

Examine the space

"When selecting paint shades, first you have to understand the architecture of the space as well as its function. Consider the height, the light source, and if there's any interest in terms of architectural detail.

An unexpected pop of blue on the ceiling of this waterfront home creates a tropical touch.

Carlos Domenech courtesy of DWD Inc

"Bold colors feel better in spaces that need a ‘pick me up’. A powder room is a great trying ground. Kids’ rooms are also fun to experiment with color.

"To create cohesion, common areas of a home or apartment should work together. You can always introduce a different or complementing tone to any adjacent space. A great way to bring in another shade to a room is with an accent color. These add focus to an area--the wall behind a bed, the ceiling, or the doors and trim work in a room."

-Deborah Wecselman, founder of Miami-basedDWD INC

More:How to Create a Luxurious, Modern Outdoor Space

Think about the color in relation to the room

"If you’re starting a room from scratch, it’s much easier to match paint colors to major design elements you’ve already fallen in love with—the kitchen cabinets, a bathroom vanity, flooring, or a bedroom comforter, for example. However, if you’ve found a particular hue you’re set on bringing into your room, it can also provide a great foundation to inspire your other design choices.

"To help you hone in on the hue, create a makeshift mood board by gathering pieces of each design element—a tile or wood sample, a pillow sham, statement accessories, or artwork—and choose a paint color that pulls the whole room together. Instead of finding a perfect match, go for a complementary tone, or a lighter or darker version to complete the look.

"Paint color can truly set the mood, so it’s important to first spend time in the room imagining how you want it to feel. In general, light neutrals impart a relaxed feeling and can open up a room. Bold hues add energy, while earthy colors can feel protective.

A green accent wall lends vivid detail to a dining room.

"Also, consider that colors change as the natural light and lighting sources like lamps and overhead lights in our homes change throughout the day. What you see in the evening may be different from what you see in the height of the day or in the morning light, so make sure you love the color at all hours before you paint. To test this, purchase a sample of the color and paint large swaths on a wall to see how the light affects it over the course of a day.

"I recommend trying out at least three-to-five different color swatches in a space before you come to a final decision. Colors can look completely different from the way they did in the store, so it’s a good idea to try a few favorites or shades of a particular color on your wall. Even if paint chips look similar when held side by side, seeing the shades painted next to each other shows the undertones and subtle, yet impactful, differences. For example, neutrals, like whites, greys, and beiges can have unexpected undertones like yellow, green, blue or lilac that you might not notice on a small color chip."

-Erika Woelfel, VP Color & Creative Services at Behr Paint, based in Santa Ana, Calif.

More:Wallpaper Can Transform a Space—As Much or As Little As You Like

Consider the tone and finish

"There are a few factors to think about when selecting sheen: the condition of your walls, the main function of the room, and the aesthetics or mood you are aiming to create. The sheen can serve a functional purpose, but it can also act as a design detail that will tie everything together. With a high sheen level, such as a semi-gloss or high-gloss finish, the color will appear slightly lighter thanks to light reflecting from the surface, but it will also highlight any imperfections in your walls. On the other hand, a matte finish will diffuse light, resulting in the color appearing slightly darker. It's also much more forgiving since it's less reflective so it won't draw attention to less-than-perfect walls.

"The finish can also impact the level of the room's formality. A higher sheen like semi-gloss or high-gloss may be more formal or dramatic and would work for a dining or living room, while an eggshell finish can provide a soft gloss that lends itself to hallways or the entry of a home.

A powdery blue ceiling in Constellation by Benjamin Moore Regal Select furthers the light and airy feel of this window-lined kitchen.

Courtesy of Benjamin Moore

"It is also possible to use multiple sheen or gloss levels in one room. For example, a wall can be painted in a matte finish to create a soft, velvety look with millwork and trim in a semi-gloss or high-gloss. This provides a nice contrast and may call more attention to architectural detailing.

"Generally speaking, warmer colors are often associated with being cozy and welcoming, while cooler colors are tranquil or may create a greater sense of space. This is because warm colors advance and cooler colors recede.  

-Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore Color & Design Expert, based in New Jersey

More:Click to read more design tips from designers who work on luxury properties

Go with your favorite hues

"People often don’t even know what color they are drawn to. Yet if you were to investigate your wardrobe or existing decor, there is always at least one color that makes you smile. However, there are no stringent rules. If you would like a monochromatic grey palette, for instance, you can toss in a green throw pillow, accessories, and art with hits of green. The green then becomes your tool to add an infusion of color.

"If you want to create a varied color palette throughout your home, you don’t have to use just one color. Instead, there should be a strategic continuance of the palette throughout each room. So, if you choose a light color scheme for your formal entertaining areas, such as the dining and living rooms, and an impact color in family areas, for example, you do need to connect them. Not through colored walls, but through strategic pieces and accessories to harmonize the rooms visually."

-Lori Morris of Lori Morris Designs Inc. in Toronto

 

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