How to Choose Paint Colors You’ll Love for Your Home

Choosing paint colors can feel like life or death. What if you choose wrong? What if the color is too bright, or too dark? Repainting isn’t technically hard, but doing it all over is annoying and time-consuming.

Avoid color mistakes and anxiety and choose the best colors the first time. Here is how to choose paint colors you’ll love in your home.

Home Design Tips: How to Choose Paint Colors the Right Way

If you found yourself stuck in the hardware store staring at the rainbow of thousands of paint chips without a clue, these tips are for you.

1. Collect Inspiration Photos, Then Analyze

Gather inspiration for how you would love your room to look. Then, take a step back and analyze your choices. Are you seeing any similarities between them?

For example, maybe there are an overwhelming amount of rooms with light, neutral colors on the walls. Or, maybe you like rooms with dark paint and white furniture. Note the trends and hone in on what you’re drawn to again and again.

2. Think About Light and Location

The natural light available in the room will help determine what looks good and what doesn’t. If you get a bounty of natural sunlight pouring through your windows, you can do any color you want. Dark, bright, light, or neutral – all will look good.

On the other hand, if your room is dark most of the day, painting the walls a dark shade will make the room feel like a cave. Bright colors won’t look their best, either.

Your climate is another factor. If you home is in the sunny south, bright colors work well with your endless days of sun. If you live where winters are long and the sun regularly hides its face, bright, saturated hues will not look as vibrant.

3. Look to Nature

Your home’s natural surroundings are a great place to pull color inspiration. Whether your immediate landscape boasts mountains, forests, fields, beaches, desert, or lakes, each has its own unique vibe and color palette to draw from. If you love the view, copy the colors.

4. Use a Jumping-Off Point

If you have a décor piece you absolutely love, why not use it as the inspiration for your wall color? A piece of art with multiple shades can make an easy color picker. Just think about your room’s light and location, then choose a color from the piece accordingly. You can get it color-matched at your local hardware store.

This technique doesn’t have to be limited to artwork, either. If you have a favorite textile, vase, furniture piece, or some other object, use it as your inspiration.

Choosing Paint Colors Is a Personal Decision

Color is taste-specific. The colors you choose for your home should reflect your preferences while showing off your rooms to best advantage. This is how to choose paint colors you’ll love for the long haul.