Our Unique 4-Step Process for Choosing Paint Colors & Materials that Pair Perfectly
Colors in a home evoke a certain feeling and mood. Often, paint color is chosen before anything else is in place because paint is messy. I get it! Clients then want to choose a sofa, rug, pillows, drapery, countertop, bedding, etc. to match the paint they just paid for. This is absolutely the wrong way to do this. It can be a very frustrating and costly mistake to now try to match everything to the paint color.
Step #1: Settle on a Specific Mood for the Space
The first step in planning your new room is to determine the feeling or mood you would like. Are you trying to achieve a soft, light, and cozy vibe, or are you looking to achieve a dark, moody, comfortable space? Perhaps you want a clean, polished look or an eclectic look filled with curated objects from travels in a vibrant room. Have the end goal in mind before you start looking for materials and paint.
Step #2: Find a Variety of Images for Visual Inspiration
To begin you'll want to find some inspiration photos. Just like you search for a recipe to create a wonderful dessert, you need to find some ideas for how you want your room to look and feel. The best way is to create a Pinterest board for the room you plan to decorate or remodel. Then find several images that match your style and color goals. You can make comments on the "pins" to point out exactly what you like in each photo. After saving 8-15 images for each space, you will notice what is the common overall style you want to achieve.
Step #3: Determine Each Detail of the Design Up-Front
Whether this is a remodeling or a decorating project, you must choose one element as the Hero. Everything else should be chosen with it in mind. For example a kitchen remodel may include beautiful (and expensive) countertops. If there are multiple colors in it, this becomes the palette that you work from. A living room decoration project may start with an amazing rug or piece of artwork. Every choice afterward has to relate to that piece in style and color. When I help people with selections, we choose the busiest or most expensive piece first and then work from there.
Step #4: Edit, Assess, Repeat, Finalize...Then Implement
In my e-design service, we drop those items onto a mood board to make sure the colors relate. We remove anything that doesn't coordinate. Next we order samples for products whenever possible. Once everything arrives, it is time to TEST the few chosen paint colors. I walk clients through this process because paint in a store looks very different than in your home. Once the final paint color is decided, the paint on the walls relates perfectly to everything selected. Yes!
There are thousands of paint colors to match your expensive sofa. There are not a thousand sofas to match your paint color. Choose your paint color last!
Bonus Tip: You might mistakenly think that if you just stick with neutral colors, it will be easier because they will all coordinate. So wrong! Neutrals have sneaky undertones and can get really complicated. This is where hiring a professional will save you lots of money and disappointment.
Have a question about our process for creating cohesive spaces? Book a free discovery call here.
Until next time,
