Do you remember asking about color for your home and I promised you answers and advice from a professional? Well, my friends, here is the long awaited post.
Meet Carolyn
Carolyn Call has been a professional Interior Designer for 30 years. Her background includes working with the nation’s top home builders designing model homes throughout the country as well as country club, hotel, and restaurant design. Her work has been awarded and published on a national level and has been featured in California Home and Design magazine, winning first place in her design category two years in a row. Carolyn earned her bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from San Jose State University.Follow Carolyn on Instagram at: carolyncallinteriordesign
or Facebook at: Carolyn Call Interior Design
Why She Knows Color
In my 30 years as a professional Interior Designer, I can without doubt say that the decision of which paint color to use brings individuals the most anxiety and frustration of any other design decision. There is no doubt, it can be a daunting process. It is only due to years of choosing paint color that I have gained the experience and expertise needed to select a color from a small swatch and know how it will translate to a large surface. I hope that some of my tips will assist you in making this process a little less daunting.
The Process
First and foremost to remember is, the process of selecting a paint color is just that, a process. This is not a decision to rush through. Take your time. The color of your walls (whether throughout your home, or on one wall) needs to coordinate with the interior furnishings in the same space. Color has an impact on mood, and you will be surrounded by it day in and day out.
If you are selecting a color for a space that already has furnishings, those items are a great starting point. You may want to use the background color of a fabric or area rug for your walls. If you need to make a decision on paint color before new furnishings/fabrics are selected, don’t panic. Unless you already have one element you know you like and will be using (fabric, artwork, area rug, etc.) the best thing to do is to select a neutral with the undertones you like and know you will be using. It is always good to have a color palette in your home that flows from one room to another.
When it comes to children’s bedrooms, my own professional opinion and my practice as a Mom was to allow my kids to choose what color they wanted their room to be, with my guidance of course! Their bedrooms were separate from the main living area and I thought it was important to allow them to choose a color and create their own little world.
Why is Choosing a Color so Difficult?
One of the reasons paint color can be so tricky is because color is impacted by every other color surrounding it including, natural and artificial light. Because of this, a color you see and like, in a store, a friend’s home, or online, may not look the same in your home. In fact, odds are, it will look different in your home. You still may like it, but keep in mind, it may not read exactly the same. Remember that paint color will look different at different times of the day, on different walls (even at the same time of day), and in different types of weather (bright sun vs. overcast days).
It is wise, if possible, to paint large samples of the paint color(s) you are considering throughout the same room and on different walls. Once the paint dries (some paints look very different wet vs.dry) see how you feel about it in different lighting and at different times of the day. The sample you paint on your wall should be fairly large. Even then, that sample color will be impacted by the existing wall color around it.
TIP: I advise my clients to view the paint sample on their wall through a rolled up piece of paper or empty cardboard paper towel tube to block out the surrounding color. If you have a white or very light wall and you paint a darker paint sample on it, such as maroon, medium blue or taupe, it will appear much darker with the drastic contrast of white surrounding it than it will once the paint is covering all walls throughout the room.
Once you have your samples on the wall, take your time. It’s very helpful to remove yourself from it overnight and look again with a fresh eye the next day. If you do not want to paint directly on the wall, you can use a white poster board or Peel-and-Stick paint sample available at Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore.
Choosing Colors That Work
When selecting a paint color, it’s important to know what the undertone is. If you want to get an idea of what the undertone is in a white, get a paint chip of the purest white your paint manufacturer has. Not sure? Ask the person working at the paint store to tell you.
Once you have a paint chip of their purest white, compare it side by side with your own. You will see the difference pretty easily and the undertone such as, green, pink, grey or yellow will typically stand out. If you are unsure, ask a professional at a paint store for help.
When selecting other colors, they also will have either warm or cool undertones. Use this same technique of comparison to see what the undertone is. This process will help you eliminate many shades and tints of the same color. Process of elimination is a great way to zero in on the right color for your space.
How Bold Should a Color Be?
Whatever hint of color you see in a small paint chip will be magnified greatly once applied to your walls. Always begin with a muted version of the color you ultimately want on your walls. When I was a new designer trying to find the perfect creamy yellow for my own home, I went through the process described above. One was too bright, one was too pale, and another was too peach. It took me several tries before I found the perfect shade of yellow. The sample of the color I used looked beige, but once the paint was on my walls, it was the perfect soft buttery yellow that I had in my head.
When my daughter was 12 years old, she showed me the color (from one of my paint fans) that she wanted her room to be. If I had used that sample to paint her room, it would have looked like the inside of a very bright turquoise swimming pool. I knew I needed to use a color that was more muted. I found what looked to me would match her expectation once the paint was on her walls. Using a different, more muted blue which, once applied to her walls, translated to the perfect turquoise that she wanted. She was never the wiser.
TIP: Remember, a small amount of color in a sample is magnified once applied to your walls. This rule applies even more so when painting the exterior of your home.
Questions Answered:
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#1Â – How do you choose a gray (or any color) when there are so many color options available at the paint store?
See Choosing Colors That Work
#2Â -How do you pick colors that go well with permanent fixtures, like a roof? We just bought a home and the roof is light brown and we were hoping to paint a gray/greige as the main color of the house with blue on the shutters and door. Does that even work? Should we go warmer or cooler with the colors? We want it to be updated but to also match the home. What other colors should we consider?
If you are painting the exterior of your home and need to match an existing roof, such as light brown, using a main color such as greige (ie; taupe) with navy shutters will work. Be careful not to lean too gray though, otherwise it will fight with your light brown roof. I suggest going to a paint store and picking up exterior home color brochures where they show various combinations of roof, main paint, and accent color combinations. It is also helpful to be aware of other homes while driving around with light brown roofs that have been painted greige in order to see a finished product.
#3Â -In a room with huge windows, vaulted wood ceilings, and lots of natural light, what is a color that would make it look big and bright but not overwhelming?
If you are painting a space with a lot of natural light and a vaulted wood ceiling, and want it to look big and bright without it being overwhelming, paint it a neutral. Be sure you keep in mind the wood tone of your ceiling when selecting a color. I would select a neutral such as beige, taupe (greige) or even a muted green (which is considered a neutral). Painting this space one of these colors will help reflect the natural light, but will not be overwhelming like a cream or off white.
#4Â – We have neutral colors throughout our home that is an open floor plan. We would like to do an accent wall with color that is perhaps not neutral. What are some accent wall do’s and don’ts to keep a general neutral feel, but with a hint of color?
Painting an accent wall. I would begin by looking at what colors you may already have in the space, such as fabrics and area rugs. You will want your accent wall to coordinate with any other color you may already have in the same space. If you don’t want to use a bold color, go with something that is muted. You could also go with a neutral (ie: beige), that has undertones of the color you want. Green is considered a neutral as well. If you want to keep a general neutral feel, go with a muted color or a neutral with a noticeable color as it’s undertone.
#5Â – I have a paneled room in our new house that we plan to paint, but how do you decorate within the paneling to make everything flow? Do we nail right into the paneling or is there a better way to hang things?
Room with paneling. Once you paint your paneling, place your furniture in the arrangement that is most functional for your lifestyle. Any accessorizing, including hanging artwork, should be done based on where your furniture is. There are many different products you can use if you do not want to use nails to hang artwork. Google, “removable adhesives to hang art work”. If you need to use a nail, the hole can be filled later with wood putty and then painted over. I do that all the time. Be sure you keep a record of the paint color you use. It is also helpful to keep a swatch on file in case it becomes discontinued and you ever need to match it.
#6 – In our master bedroom I want to go bold with a gold/yellow color on an accent wall and perhaps some geometric designs on the wall in paint, but my husband is worried bold and geometric won’t go with the rest of the house. I have my grandmother’s mid century modern furniture in a medium wood that I accented with some gray paint. How should things relate with bedroom design vs. the entire house as a whole? Am I crazy for wanting to add all of this in, or should I scale back? How do you know when there is too much going on in a room?
Master Suite accent wall. The color scheme you show of grays with navy and gold is very beautiful. When it comes to the Master Bedroom, that is a very personal space. What is too much for one person, may not be enough for another. With that said, I think the elements you are wanting to incorporate into your Master will look great! I love the idea of a gold accent wall.
You also mentioned geometric designs as well. I’m assuming the geo designs would be on the same gold accent wall? I would recommend (you may already be considering this) the accent wall be behind the bed, which is your focal wall. As far as how your Master relates to the rest of your home, if there is a common element or 2 between your Master and the rest of your home, that is all you need. You and your Husband (and kids) are most likely the only ones who spend regular time in that space, so if you are happy with it that is what matters most.
Now take a deep breath and begin the process !
Thank you Carolyn from Carolyn Call Interior Design!
This is amazing information on color. Choosing the colors for your home is never an easy process. I feel the tips here have helped me to realize that our homes really are our personal space where hard and fast color rules need not apply. Cover your basic understanding of color and tone and you can’t go wrong if you love the space you live in.
Remember to follow Carolyn on Instagram at carolyncallinteriordesign if you want to see more of her stunning work. ( I will put a plug in for her unmatched talent at picking out fabrics and textures that are bold and complementary.)
Enjoy making a house a home! 💙
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I love this info! Thanks so much guys.
No problem. We’re here for you. 🙂