For many homeowners here in the Portland area, the opportunity to paint your whole house interior is both thrilling and intimidating. It’s exciting to imagine the possibilities and anticipate how fresh and beautiful it all will be. However, it is also a big investment, and the fear of making a bad choice can be nearly paralyzing for some people. So, we have a few tips for you when choosing paint colors for your whole home interior.
Begin with the Connected Spaces
When a wall is shared or continuous between two different rooms, or when parts of one room are easily visible from another, it is vital that these spaces be coordinated. For example, many open-concept homes have no clear border or division between the kitchen and dining room, or between the entryway and the living room. This is the place to start with choosing your colors.
For all of the main walls in these open spaces, it is generally best to use just one color. Interior designers usually recommend a neutral color, such as gray or tan, for these areas. This way the walls can be coordinate easily with a wide range of colors, and you are not overwhelmed with a bolder color that is spread across such a large space.
As you choose your neutral color, remember that it will be on many large surfaces surrounding the main arteries of your home. You probably want a lighter shade or tone, to avoid making the home feel heavy or dark.
Choose Individual Room Colors
Now that the main connecting color has been chosen for your home, you can pick the colors that adorn individual areas. As long as you limit yourself to colors that work with that connecting color, you’ll be in good shape! Fortunately, it’s easy to coordinate with the main neutral shade. Feel free to choose bolder options in these places, but remember that the visual impact of a color is usually more intense when it’s on a big wall, compared to when you see it on a color card.
As you consider room colors, think of the purpose of those rooms, and how color might affect them. Do you want something energetic or calming? Do you want the atmosphere to feel warm or cool? Is the goal to feel cozy or formal? Select the hue for each room with these questions in mind.
If a room is completely self-contained, meaning you can’t easily see its walls and the walls of other rooms simultaneously, your color choices don’t need to match what you have in other individual rooms. For example, your nursury doesn’t need to match the master bedroom, nor does the guest bath need to match the kitchen. However, even when a room is self contained, you want to coordinate with your main neutral house color, so it does not feel jarring to move from one space to another.
Pick Your Accent Walls
Not every room should get an accent wall, but accents are a great option to use in a couple places in the home. An accent wall is a great place to use a striking color that you like, but that would be too much as a room color or connecting space color. Definitely pick accent colors that coordinate with the other colors in the room, but feel free to be bold! This is the time to think of dark, rich colors, or vibrant, bright colors.
When choosing accent walls, remember that the surface you choose will become the focal point of that space, so pick a wall that makes sense to focus on. It should be a wall with clear borders (not a wall that flows from one room to another), and one with few interruptions (windows, doors, cabinets).
Looking for More Specific Paint Color Ideas?
With such a vast array of options to choose from, specific color combinations or recommendations are beyond the scope of this article. Here are some ideas for finding color schemes for painting your whole house:
- Paint stores and home improvement stores often have color cards or brochures with creative, attractive combinations on them. They would typically contain a neutral color for main areas, then room colors and accent colors that go well together.
- Online resources like Pinterest and Houzz offer millions of photos of home interiors. Spend some time browsing pictures and look for ideas that appeal to you. Just remember that not ever paint style works in every house. The colors you may like in a San Diego bungalo might be a total disaster in a Virginia colonial.
- Many painting contractors offer color consultation services. Even if you have some colors in mind already, it is always helpful to get professional insight as to how the colors will look and work in your home.
Painting Contractor in Portland, Oregon
Sundeleaf Painting is a reputable, reliable, experienced house painting contractor. If you are getting ready to paint your whole house, whether it is new construction or complete redecoration, we are happy to serve! We work in the areas of Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington.