Want to make a big impact without spending a fortune? Paint! My absolute favorite way to update a room or a piece of furniture is to use paint. Paint is inexpensive, easily accessible, and makes an immediate impact. So many of our projects have started with paint - and it can really make or break a space. As much as I love paint, I also understand how completely overwhelming it can be when trying to pick a color. There are hundreds of shades of white alone, so how do you go about choosing the right paint when even one color has so many variations? Now there are all kinds of resources out there about paint chroma and the different types of paint. But what I'm here to talk about is much less scientific. Figuring out what you want first is key, and then you can turn your focus on how to achieve that look later. 1. Get Inspired. Inspiration can come from anywhere -- Pinterest, your favorite scarf, your favorite color, anywhere. In the case of our nursery, I was inspired by two of my favorite things (or people, rather): Tim Burton and Kate Spade. We did a bold black and white striped accent wall. Now that a few years have passed, we are changing it up again. This time I was inspired by a simple crib sheet. You can see what a difference it makes.
2. Consider your aesthetic. I would classify my aesthetic as mid-century modern bohemian farmhouse. Those don't sound like consistent styles, but those are the tastes I find myself gravitating towards. I love the rustic feel of farmhouse style. I love the pops of color in the bohemian style. And I love the low-profile look of mid-century furniture. Your aesthetic doesn't have to make sense on paper for it to work, but it does have to be authentically you. Not sure what your aesthetic is? Start asking yourself some questions. How do you want to feel when you are in the space? Do you like formality or do you enjoy a more playful approach? There are no wrong answers (or questions). Start somewhere and see what sparks your interest.
3. Consider what you are painting. Is it a room? The exterior of your house? A piece of furniture? I may be more inclined to choose a bold color on a piece of furniture than I would be to paint the entire exterior of my home. I generally choose one bold, stand-out piece (be it an accent wall, furniture, or exterior door) to be the focus and allow everything else to balance it out. You can have bold colors, patterns, or make bold decisions without compromising the feel of your home for something that isn't you. In the case of our dining room, I wanted the table to be the focal point. When we got our buffet, it was too dark and not only did it take the focus away from the table, it made the space feel heavy even though it was the mid-century look we wanted. I did a quick internet search to gain some inspiration and decided on a light gray. It completely transformed the piece.
4. Don't be afraid of color. Color is a fantastic way to show personality in your home. We have a blue/green couch, so our walls are #sherwinwiliams alabaster. It's a neutral white-ish that's warm and inviting and doesn't feel sterile. It balances the blue/green so the couch doesn't feel overwhelming. On the other hand, growing up I had a bright blue bedroom. The paint was called "King Triton" and it really made a statement. Albeit, a different statement than my parents would have chosen. 😂 Playing with color is a great exploration into what you like and what you want your space to say. And you might be surprised at what you find you like. Purple is my favorite color, but we have almost no purple in our house. It's a color I love, but it's not necessarily the color I want on my walls or furniture.
5. Utilize paint samples. I mentioned above that our walls are a shade of creamy, warm white. My favorite part? It doesn't look yellow! This doesn't go without saying that I agonized over choosing the right shade of white for weeks. This is where samples come in to play. We brought home swatch after swatch and every swatch I taped to our kitchen cabinets felt too gray. Our whole house was gray before we repainted, so I was trying to get away from that. Then we found alabaster. I was afraid of how warm it was because of how much I dislike yellow undertones, so we got a sample. After we got the sample, we knew almost immediately that it was the perfect shade for us. We painted swatches in different areas of our home so we could see how it'd handle different lighting, which was key! So as long as you don't mind living with some large paint swatches for a few days, this is the best way to know for sure. We lived with our walls like this for probably two weeks before making a final decision.
**Side note** Sherwin Williams paint colors only matched the paint swatch when we had them mixed by Sherwin Williams and not at a home center. Once you've narrowed down the direction you'd like to go, you can start thinking about things like finishes. There are recommendations based on where the paint will be (rooms with more traffic are recommended to have a higher gloss because it's easier to clean), but there are no hard and fast rules about it. It's your house; decorate it how you want! And one of the greatest things about paint is: if you hate it, just paint over it with something you like. Easy! - K What are some of your favorite ways you've used paint to personalize your home?👇