Category: Home and Garden

As many of you know, we’ve recently undertaken some home remodeling projects, starting with our master bedroom suite. I was on the hunt for the perfect paint color for my bedroom, but I was open to nearly any color. I finally decided on a neutral-ish hue because I may decide to take it on into my living room/kitchen area at some point.

So, that left me with grays, tans, etc. I decided I wanted a tan, but a WARM tan and went with a color called Warm Caramel. I ordered the sample, loved it, and went and bought a gallon. I only finished the trim in our closet when I realized the color was way too dark for my liking. I’m still going to use that paint for a dresser I am revamping and doing a chevron pattern on, but not on the walls.

The problem with choosing a color is that it will look very different in the store under the fluorescent lights, but when you get it home it won’t look right. My husband finally found a color at Porter Paints called Rabbit that we liked. So, I am now in the process of getting it up on my walls.

Choosing a Paint Color

Consider your color preferences. Is there a color or set of colors you gravitate to? Throughout our marriage, I’ve gone with deep reds and sage greens and tans. I don’t know why, but I like the way those colors mesh together.

What Goes Well?

What colors go best with those foundation colors you love? Perhaps your furniture is blue. Then, you’ll want to stay in a cooler range of colors. Blue is hard to match, but you could easily paint your walls a soft gray.

What Do You Love?

Next, go to the paint store and just choose a bunch of sample strips of colors you love. Don’t worry for now about what goes with what or your overall palette. Remember that when you get the colors home, they’re going to be really different than they look in the store.

Sample Match Up

Now, you are going to hold those samples strips up in the rooms you’d like to paint and see where they look good and where they don’t. Once you’ve narrowed the choices down, you should also hold those strips up to your existing furniture, carpet and other transitional items.

Order Sample Batches

Now, you probably have narrowed your choices to two or three colors. You should order small samplers of actual paint at this point. Place them on the wall right next to one another and figure out which one you like.

Paint Just One Small Wall

I did all of the above and remember that I had chosen that warm caramel. I still actually love that color but when I got it onto the wall in a wider section, it was far too dark for my taste. Instead of investing in paint for an entire room and deciding you hate it, paint one small wall or a larger section with the sample you have left. These sample containers have quite a bit of paint in them. It should be enough to give you a good idea if you like the color on your walls or not.

Love it? Great! Then go get the gallons you need and get started changing the face of your room. Happy painting!