Painting a room is one of the easiest ways to give it a fresh look. If you choose the wrong color, it’s not the end of the world, but it can be incredibly inconvenient to have to repaint sooner than you planned to. You can make sure you come home with the right color by avoiding a few simple mistakes that we’ll share with you now.
The first mistake is choosing a color that exactly matches your inspiration. You can use any item you’d like to draw inspiration, such as an area rug, artwork, or statement furniture, but painting your walls the same color will make your favorite accents fade into the background. Instead, choose a shade or two lighter in tone to make the whole room pop. You can also go with a complementary hue that will play up the features of all your decorative accents. Use a color wheel for the perfect match or ask one of our Benjamin Moore paint experts for help.
Playing it safe with color is never a bad idea, but not taking a little risk can result in a dull-looking space. Neutral tones can give a room a calming, clean aesthetic, but every room looks better with some contrasting shades. You can achieve this with an area rug or an accent wall. Don’t forget that even neutral shades have undertones you should consider when painting.
When you’re looking at samples, don’t forget the brightly lit store doesn’t have the same lighting as your home. To get an authentic feel for how the color will look on your own walls, paint a one or two-foot square area and view it at different times of day for a few days. If it turns out to be not what you expected, one of our team members can help point you in the right direction.
It’s important to remember that all paint finishes are not created equal, and the finish you choose will have a significant impact on your walls’ final appearance. Flat finish paint doesn’t stand up well to frequent cleaning and is best suited to dining rooms or adult bedrooms. Eggshells and satins have a sheen that can help brighten a room and are also much easier to clean. These finishes are ideal for children’s bedrooms, playrooms, and kitchens, where the walls will need more frequent cleaning.
Before you begin, you should decide what mood you want the space to evoke. Blues and greens are soothing and promote a sense of calm and relaxation, while bright reds and yellows are energizing. You don’t want to make the mistake of choosing a color that doesn’t match the intended aesthetic of a room.
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Do you have questions about choosing the perfect shade of paint for your home? Schedule an appointment with one of our paint specialists to receive personalized assistance and recommendations. In addition to premium interior and exterior paint brands, we also offer custom window treatment products and interior design services. We have locations in Alexandria, Arlington, and Falls Church, VA, and are proud to serve the surrounding areas including Fairfax, Virginia, Bethesda and Chevy Chase, Maryland, and the Washington DC area.
