Trends come and go and more often than not, trends tend to repeat themselves about every twenty years. One area you can see trends repeated over and over, is in your home décor. If you desire to get the most out of your decorating dollar, then the answer for you is to use color. Changing the painted wall color of your living room is definitely one of the least expensive but most impressive modifications you can make in your home. If you have never experienced choosing a popular living room paint color before, then it can be a little baffling. Once you consider the important key elements of your room, it won’t be so difficult to know where to begin
As you start this exciting project, the first thing you should do is to consider your likes and dislikes. The color of paint you choose should reflect your personality. What colors would you say are your favorites? A wise interior designer once said that if you are stumped by choosing a paint color, try looking in your closet. Here you will normally find the colors you enjoy and that create a good feeling. Your home is an extension of who you are, so choosing colors that please yourself will give you a good start.
Next, study the room. How do you want to utilize color? Your living room may feature its own specific elements and special architectural accents such as molding and trim. These must be taken into consideration. Look at the structure of the room. Pay attention to the way it is shaped and its size. What do you find attractive about the room? For example, does your living room have great windows? Well in that case, you would definitely want to accent the window area. A rule to remember when painting a room such as your living room, is that paint can accentuate a room’s special features or hide them.
The style and theme of the décor that you intend to use in your room, as well as personal taste, will determine the color of paint you choose. It will also depend largely on the function of the room. In this case, the living room, is normally used as a gathering place for family and friends. Using a warm paint color then, will give a more inviting and welcoming feeling than a cooler color. A lighter color may help a small living room have a more spacious feeling. If your living room is large, using a darker color of paint can help the room seem cozier.
Choosing a design direction is the next step. Do you have a certain decorating theme in mind for your living room? Or perhaps you are planning to use an existing theme and only paint the walls to give your room a more updated look. One way to choose a paint color is to focus on a favorite piece of furniture. Another way to choose a paint color is to base it on a beautiful fabric swatch. Perhaps this fabric will be used to make draperies or curtains for the windows in the room. Some may even make a color choice based on a lovely piece of art or a special painting. Once you know what decorating direction you want to go, it will be much easier to decide on a perfect paint palette.
A good idea when picking a living room wall color is to go to your local home improvement store and get paint sample swatches. They have hundreds and paint can be customized in any of the colors or shades that you end up choosing. There are seven actual colors in the color spectrum and from these seven, comes all the other different shades. The colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Colors are either cool or warm in tone.
For a high traffic area such as your living room, a good choice for the type of paint you use, is paint with a satin finish. This will give a slight sheen to the walls and will be easier to clean than a room painted with flat paint. A satin finish paint will hold up to the active wear and tear of family life and may be wiped clean with a damp cloth or sponge. Satin paint comes in a variety of colors and is wonderful to work with. This water based satin paint tends to have less odor and is easier to clean up when your project is finished. Be sure to take your time when choosing a living room paint color and don’t buy on an impulse. Spend at least a couple of weeks making up your mind.
You should never buy cheap or low quality paint. Spending the extra money is well worth it in the long run. Paint of a higher quality will perform better. It will go on the wall in a smooth manner and visible brush or roller marks will not be a problem. Higher quality paint offers resistance to dirt and finger prints. Once you have picked your paint color, its always a good idea to purchase small quarts to use to test the color in your home under your own lighting. Various lighting types can cause paint colors to change from room to room.
While, the color white has been a popular living room paint color, with a contemporary feel, many home owners find it boring. There are others that like the color white because it is a “safe“ color choice. The great thing about the color white is that it can make an area, such as your living room, seem larger. The stronger and bolder the color of the large furniture items in the room, the better the chance white has of making a wonderful wall color. However, if your furniture and accessories are more in the neutral color range, you will probably want to opt for brighter painted walls.
Be confident and use paint colors that are bold and bright if you desire. For someone that is just starting out in life, and on a tight budget, with very little furniture, using a vibrant paint color in your living room will help you to create a look that fills the room until you are able to purchase more furniture.
Some of the most popular living room paint colors today are white, off white, beige, light yellow, burgundy, creamy golden, sautéed mushroom, and light blue. They comprise some of the top selling paint colors. As seen throughout this article, color choices really depend upon the person making the choice. When you find a color that you truly love, you’ll know it. You can then proceed full speed ahead, creating a fantastic living room to enjoy throughout the years to come.
