Picking the right color for your space

Having trouble picking the perfect color for your space?

Picking the paint colors that will define your space for years to come can seem like a daunting task. Here are a few handy hints to help you pick the perfect color:

1. Find Inspiration
You can come up with ideas by creating a portfolio of what appeals to you: a favorite painting, the color of the flowers and trees outside your house, or an amazing landscape scene that you photographed in Mexico.
First, take into consideration your inspirational image's common denominators in terms of color. Do you like a variety of colors or particular shades and tints of a specific color? Do you like them bold or muted? Digging deep in the well of inspiration plays an important role in selecting and whittling down your choices.

2. Define the Mood
Secondly, is there a mood or theme that you would like to achieve in a particular space? Do you want a restful feel in the bedroom, or an energizing feel to the family room? The mood will lay the groundwork on the desired visual impact of a chosen paint color palette.

3. Use Key Elements in Your Home
Last but not least, take stock of all the key elements in your house. Do you have carpeting, hardwood floors, modern or antique furniture? The color of the flooring is an important consideration when you choose colors because it anchors the room and can impact the color on the wall due to reflections.
Furnishings also play an important role in determining the perfect color scheme for your house. Since these are usually the most expensive and not easily replaced items in the house, they tend to suggest a coordinating color scheme that ties everything together. An invaluable heirloom dining table, for example, will never be discarded because it doesn't match the wall color of the dining room.

Choosing paint colors is a very personal decision. Whether your selections are based on inspiration, a particular mood, or key elements in your home, using these tools you'll be sure to find perfect colors. Check out these amazing tools to help you pick colors;

"Choosing Your Perfect Color": Filled with illustrations and helpful tips, this flipbook is an excellent step-by-step guide to selecting paint colors for any room.

Design seeds blog - This blog has thousands of color charts matched to your favorite items, beautiful scenery and excellent color pairings. Take a look to give you a better idea of what inspires you.

Color Calculator - This site allows you to select a color you like and find out it's complementary colors, analogous colors, split complementary colors and will teach you which colors will work well together in a space.

Choosing the right paint sheen

How to Pick the Perfect Paint Sheen

Picking paint is no picnic. First you need to observe the space, consider the light in the room, consider the room's purpose, pick a color and then there's that final factor of what sheen your paint surface should have. It's exhausting just typing about it! Here are a few helpful things to keep in mind when picking the sheen that is right for your space.

Sheen is a measure of how much light reflects back from the paint, basically, how shiny it is. Although sheen is controlled by quantity of the paint's pigments and additives, what's important to your choices is that certain sheens look better and clean easier on certain surfaces.

Sheens
Most paints fall into one of four sheen categories - flat, satin, semigloss and gloss. Manufacturers may choose descriptive names such as matte or eggshell, so avoid surprises by checking actual samples when comparing paints. Sheen affects not only the appearance of a painted surface, but also its durability. The higher the sheen, the harder the paint. But don't assume all glossy paints display the same reflectivity. Sheens are not standardized from brand to brand. One company's satin may be glossier than another brand's. Here's how the sheen of a paint can affect your choices.

Flat paints are pretty much non reflective, with a matte finish that's good for hiding imperfections -- bumps, dents, patches, and nail heads. These paints show marks and scuffs, however, and the soft surface stains easily. Newer scrubbable flat paints are tougher and easier to clean.

Satin paints display a light luster with a soft texture. They are more durable than flat paints and can be used for trim that won't get much abuse, especially when you want to set the trim apart from a flat-painted wall.

Semigloss paint has a higher gloss and tougher skin than satin paint, so it stands up to use and cleans more readily. However, a semigloss paint has just enough shine to begin to show imperfections in the surface.

Gloss paints are the hardest -- and hardiest -- of all. This sheen is sometimes considered enamel and can take abuse and some rough scrubbing. Its high gloss makes imperfections clearly visible.
The sheen of a paint may also alter the perception of its color. For example, the same tint of white may look whiter in a glossy enamel than in a flat wall paint. That's because more of the color is reflected, even though the color itself is the same. To make sure you have the paint sheen you want, take home samples and paint them on test boards.

Traditionally, different paint sheens have been favored for various surfaces.

Paint for ceilings
Ceilings don't suffer the abrasion other surfaces endure, but cooking vapors, airborne grease, smoke, pollution, and plain old dirt gradually make a ceiling dingy and dull. A flat or semigloss sheen is a good choice for ceilings because it hides imperfections well. Paints formulated specifically for ceilings are thicker so they are less spatter prone, are non-yellowing, and dry faster.

Paint for walls
Many home builders apply flat paints to walls to help disguise less-than-perfect drywall finishing. But flat paint quickly shows wear. Attempts to clean away dirty marks often result in creating a larger smudge. A satin finish is more forgiving, with substantially upgraded durability and without excessive shine. Paint made for bathrooms and kitchens contains extra mildewcides and is moisture and peel resistant. Ask your dealer about child's-room paints. Formulated for hard use, they can be perfect in other demanding locations, such as kitchens, baths, laundry rooms, and hallways. And for a kitchen, you can even apply a semigloss or gloss finish on the walls to make them easier to wipe clean.

Paint for trim
Doors, windows, and moldings typically take a higher sheen than walls because they get more physical contact and need a tougher surface. Besides, a glossy surface accentuates the woodwork and makes it stand out from the walls. That contrast between trim and walls adds interest to your design scheme. Choose trim paint that's at least one step glossier than the walls.

For any further questions or to request a quote for your next paint job,

call Painters Plus at 416 909 0904