I always find it so fascinating when people can just walk into a paint store, point to a paint chip and say “I’ll take that one.” My sister can choose paint that quickly. I, on the other hand, have an entire process for choosing paint, and I thought it would be fun to share that with you today. I am pretty indecisive, and while paint isn’t a huge investment, no one wants to spend $30-40+ per gallon just to hate it once they get it on the wall. (This has happened to me, and that’s probably why I have this process now!) Luckily if this does happen to you, paint is an easy thing to change. But I like to aim for getting it right the first time! Here’s my method of how to choose the perfect paint color, broken down into 5 steps.
Step 1
My first step is to get an idea of what color family I want to go with for a room. For this, I look for inspiration everywhere — Pinterest, magazines, Houzz, other blogs or decor sites, paint chips from the paint store, etc.
Step 2
After I’ve narrowed down my basic color choice (“light gray,” or “dark blue-gray,” for example), I do a search on Pinterest and Google for “light gray paint” or “dark blue gray paint.” Or, if the color that inspired me came from a paint chip, I skip straight to step 3.
Step 3
After I’ve found a specific color I like (by “specific,” I’m talking color name and brand), I scour the internet to see it in a room, because let’s face it, it doesn’t always end up looking like the paint chip. I search Pinterest by color name (for example, “Benjamin Moore Nocturnal Gray” which is what I used in the dining room), and I also do a Google image search. I find as many images as I can so that I can see it in different types of lighting and make sure I have a decent idea of how it will look on my walls (or furniture, or whatever I am painting). You could also buy samples and paint a few swatches on the wall, but I prefer to only make one trip to the paint store if I can help it.
Step 4
Once I’ve chosen a color that I think I’ll be happy with, I decide on a finish. I used to only use flat paint (which I still love!), but lately I’ve been going with eggshell since I have kids and it’s easier to clean. (I use semi-gloss for trim and furniture though.) I stay away from glossier finishes on walls since every flaw becomes visible, and in this house I can thank whomever painted before we moved in since they painted over wallpaper in every single room! (Ugh.)
Step 5
Since by now I know which brand of paint I’ll be buying, I search online for coupons before I buy. Then, after determining how much I’ll need, I’m off to the paint store!
I hope these tips have helped you in some way if you are struggling with choosing a paint color — if not, I’m sure it just made you think I am a little crazy! Ha.
Are you a picky paint chooser too? Or are you a “walk into the paint store and point to a color” type of person? I’d love to hear about your process!
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I moved to a new home in south Florida. It took me over a year to pick the paint colors. First I walked through as many model homes and I could find locally. Then I got paint chips for the colors I thought I liked. This went on for months. A big issue for me was the open floor plan. Almost every room opens to the great room. I didn’t know if I should use one color or many. Finally, I decided to use one color for most of the house and different colors for the bathrooms. I have 3 tray ceilings and I did all of these in the same accent color. The only mistake I made was with one of the bathroom colors. I ended up having to do this over. Lesson learned: get the samples and put them on the wall and live with them. In any case I do not think you are crazy. Your talents are amazing.
Great post, Erin! That’s very much the way I choose a paint color, too! Searching Pinterest & Google for specific colors is amazingly helpful, isn’t it? I probably buy far too many samples, though, but I’m grateful they have them now! Are you getting excited about the new baby’s nursery? Can’t wait to see it & to know if you’re having a boy or girl!!!
Thanks Melanie! I am getting excited for the nursery although I haven’t done anything in there yet! We had our ultrasound today and we resisted temptation and looked away so we still don’t know what we are having, but I got a gut feeling when I saw the baby that it is a boy. It will be interesting to see if I am right or wayyyy off! Haha. I haven’t had any sort of feeling this whole time until today. Great seeing you at Haven, wish we could have hung out more! We’ll have to do lunch or something sometime in between meetups. Maybe we can meet halfway somewhere!