Have you ever picked a paint color only to get it home and realize that it just doesn’t look quite like what you expected? Before you paint your living room, follow these five (5) steps to make sure you avoid surprising color schemes.
Step 1: Make sure you have a variety of colors that interest you. Because color schemes can be surprising in different textures and light, you’ll want several options to consider before finalizing what works best for your living room.
Step 2: Once you’ve found a suitable selection of colors, take your fabrics, swatches, or pictures to the local paint store and choose a sampling of paint swatches. The purpose of this visit to the store is to collect samples, and not to purchase anything.
It may be exciting to think you’ve found just the right color, but hold off on those emotions. The reason so many people are disappointed in paint colors is that various lighting and textures can make a wall color look completely different in one environment than in another. To avoid that common mistake, you want to make sure you see the colors in different textures and light.
So, collect all the sample swatches you want, and then take them back to the room you’re planning to paint.
Step 3: After you return home, compare the color swatches in your living room to help you narrow your selection further. Make sure you look at all of the colors in both daylight and artificial light. Lighting and texture can have a dramatic effect on the appearance of color.
Step 4: Once you’ve viewed the swatches in the room in different light, you should be able to determine which color you like best.
Step 5: If you find you still can’t make up your mind, you can always purchase small quantities of paint and try viewing them side by side. If you paint one section of a wall using each of your selected colors side by side, you’ll be able to see the colors in the context of the light and texture of your living room. Doing so will help you finalize your decision, putting you on the path to painting your living room the ideal color.
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