Ready to pick a new paint color in 2022?
Picking paint colors for your home can and should be fun, but it feels like a lot of pressure, right? Isn’t this your one chance to “get it right?”
Yes and no.
Take a deep breath, relax, and start your brainstorming process by reading these basic color selection tips. It might be an easier process than you think.
Work with a Professional Interior Painter
We need to start here because, well, it just makes the most sense. If you can avoid a headache, why not avoid a headache? An experienced painting professional can connect you with awesome color ideas and inspiration, and actually take your specific home into consideration (as opposed to reading articles that, though helpful, talk about how colors work in a more general sense).
You don’t have to have your colors all chosen before calling your painter. Pick up the phone and ask for help!
Don’t Try to Pick a Paint Color Just with Swatches
You need to see how the paint will really look on your wall, in your lighting, and in the specific sheen you’ll be applying. If you have a few colors narrowed down, paint some samples to see how they interact with your space. A lot of homeowners are afraid to take this plunge, but in reality it’s much less of a plunge than picking one color and leaping right into painting the whole room with your fingers crossed.
You can either buy a small sample can, rolling it directly onto your wall, or you can paint it larger pieces of posterboard, then tape those up. Either way, make sure to make your samples visible in several different areas, not just all in one space. You need to see how the painter interacts with the light and space throughout the day and on different walls.
Keep Your “Fixed Colors” In Mind
Before you let yourself fall in love with a color you found online, take a good, hard look at the rooms you’ll be painting. What elements are there to stay that might dictate your color choices? Furniture you won’t be replacing, architectural elements, brick, appliances, and more are all pieces of the puzzle that you need to consider.
This can be a really helpful process, narrowing the field a bit.
Check Out the Trending Paint Colors of the Year
While it’s not always wise to base your vision completely on sometimes fickle trends, they can be a fun place to gather inspiration. What’s hot out there?
To kick-start your color selection research, check out these 2022 Paint Color Trends for Your Portland Home.
Remember, Neutral Paint Is More Than Acceptable!
Actually, it’s completely stylish and “in” right now.
Neutrals aren’t a cop-out, or some sort of color placeholder until you can think of something better. Neutrals, including basic white paint, are really popular for a bunch of awesome reasons.
Draw a Color From a Fixed Element
Remember how we just mentioned the importance of evaluating your fixed colors?
As you’re planning and scheming, see if there is a color in place already that you can match with a custom-mixed paint. It might be a beautiful shade of grey in your curtains, a thin swirl of red in that rug you can’t live without, etc… Find it, match it, and paint it!
At the end of the day, we hope you can enjoy the transformative, refreshing potential that interior painting holds. It should be a fun process, and not a stressful one. Happy painting!