Giving a room a fresh coat of paint is an easy and cost-effective way to totally transform the space. If you’re thinking of trying a new colour for your walls, there are a couple things to consider before you can sit back and enjoy the new space.
Once you find the right company for the job (trust us, you may think you’re up to repainting your entire living room, but after one wall you’ll have wished you hired someone from the start), you need to pick the right colour. While your favourite colour might seem like the right choice, there’s more to consider before you start putting paint to wall.
Things to consider when choosing paint colours
Who Will Use The Room?
The first thing to consider when choosing a new paint colour is who will be using the room. The colour for a kid’s bedroom and your home office are obviously very different choices. Personal taste will always play a role in your colour decision, but just remember, not everyone in your home might be as big a fan of purple as you are, so painting your entire kitchen that colour might be an unpopular choice. Consider this when painting communal rooms such as the bathroom, living room and kitchen before you buy the paint.
When it comes to kids, think about their age and how long they are really going to be living in the same room. Kids’ interests change all the time, and this time next year they might not still love that Peppa Pig (or whoever is the current favourite cartoon character) mural on their wall. Try to find a colour that they’ll enjoy looking at for years to come. A lighter and more neutral colour might be your best bet as opposed to fire engine red or Pepto Bismol pink.
Colour Impacts House Sales
If you’re planning on painting rooms in your home to get it ready for sale, then you’re probably considering a neutral colour like eggshell or desert sand. While those colours are always a safe bet, studies have shown that certain colours can help homes sell for well above (and below) their asking price.
For example, blue tones in kitchens were found to sell for $1800 over their asking price and homes with light purple in the bathroom sold for $5000 above asking. That being said, certain colours can impact the price of your home in a negative way. It turns out that yellow and pink tones can cause your home to sell for less, so you may want to avoid marigold or antique rose.
Test Multiple Swatches
Last but not least, make sure you do some test swatches. While this step might seem like an unnecessary pain, it’s worth it in the long run. Paint can look completely different from the chip in the store to the paint in the can, to actually being dry on your walls. This is why it’s important to get a couple samples of different colours and to test them beside each other on a wall before you commit to the final colour.
You’ll also want to consider the size, shape, and amount of light the room gets. While it might seem obvious, some people forget that painting a small room a dark colour will make it seem even smaller, so avoid dark colours in small rooms such as a powder room or mudroom. Next, consider the amount of light in the room. Does the room get a lot of sun? If so, then you’ll definitely want to test a swatch of paint to see how different lighting affects the colour. You could find that while you love the dusty blue colour in the bright sunlight, by night time the colour may look cold and uninviting.
At the end of the day, pick a colour that makes you happy, but take our tips into consideration so you can find something you really love. Remember, if you do everything right you still might change your mind in six months, and that’s okay! It’s just paint and it can always be changed. Happy painting!
