A number of factors play a role in how color is perceived in a home. While choosing a room color is a deeply personal choice, it’s helpful to understand how certain influences can help guide paint color choice, says Noelle Parks, an interior design professional with Dunn-Edwards Paints®.
Parks recommends homeowners follow these guidelines when selecting paint colors.
1. Choose color based on desired mood.
From high-energy red to mellow blue, psychological responses to color inform effective and stimulating home design. Consider the ambience of the room before choosing a color. Will it be a lively dining room? A peaceful study? A luxurious bedroom?
Warm tones like red, orange and yellow evoke energy, playfulness and action – great for spaces for interaction like dining rooms or kitchens. Cool tones including green, blue, indigo and violet shades create tranquil and soothing environments. Try cool tones for places of relaxation and meditation, like the bedroom.
2. Use neutral colors as a base.
Neutral colors pair well with many shades. White, the most neutral of colors, coordinates with almost every other shade. Crisp and elegant, white opens up spaces and provides a clean, well-designed look.
Brown keeps color schemes grounded with its earthy tones and works best with an accent color. Black adds drama and is often used as an accent to embolden other tones.
3. Consider lighting.
Color looks different on a swatch in a store, and on the wall at home at different times of day with different amounts of light. It’s imperative to test colors under the lighting conditions at home to see how the paint will truly appear. If there’s a lot of natural sunlight, consider a deeper, richer color.
4. Pay attention to details.
Permanent features like the flooring, architectural trim, moldings and columns will affect how color appears and blends with the rest of the room. Dark flooring, for example, will go well with lighter wall colors as opposition creates interest and visual excitement. Or, the design on a large piece of furniture may inform the color choice of the overall room.
5. Take climate and windows into account.
Typically, warmer colors are more acceptable in cold climates and cooler colors in warmer regions. A south-facing window orientation suggests a cool to neutral color preference, while a north-facing window suggests the use of a warmer color.
Source: Dunn-Edwards Paints®
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