Deciding what you paint your interior walls isn’t easy. The average interior repaint time is 7-10 years, so it’s important to get it right. Interior paint colors have more to do with your personal preferences than what other people think. The exception to this rule is if you are selling your home – stick with neutrals (like white / gray ) so the potential buyer can envision themselves making the space their own! Here are some helpful interior repaint tips for choosing color. When hiring Brushes Over Broome, color consultations and suggestions are always free!

  1. Think about furniture and décor: If you are not changing your furniture or décor, consider colors that will go well with them. We always suggest to start with the items that have the least amount of choices (such as countertops), then work up to selections that have many choices (such as paint colors). Starting with furniture/décor is a great option, as it narrows down the range of colors you can choose from. For example, if you have bright green drapes, you will need to stick to a neutral color for the walls, while beige drapes means you can go bolder on the walls. If working with us, there are also many apps and resources that we can utilize to help when choosing complementing colors!
  2. Create a mood board: Don’t just go to the paint store and expect the perfect color to leap out at you. What people don’t realize is that there are hundred of thousands of paint colors to choose from, and it can get overwhelming, FAST! Stay organized and start focusing on creating a board (Pinterest or otherwise) collecting images of wall colors you like. If you have light flooring, try searching “Paint colors that go well with light flooring” and see where that takes you. After you’ve collected a few photos you like, you will see a pattern or range of colors you are drawn to, which will eliminate a lot of color groups. This is where we like to start during our free color consulting service. We will ask you what color ranges you like, and make some suggestions based on that!
  3. If in doubt, use a neutral: There is nothing boring about a neutral, whole home paint color and in fact they are the most popular and trendy colors that people choose. Grey has been a favorite for many years and lately we have been seeing people trend toward greige. Furthermore, neutrals can be the best for wall paint colors if you are considering selling your home soon or in the future. Warm white or grey neutral tones gives the buyers a clean slate to envision the home as their own, and welcomes their minds to bring in their own color furniture and textiles! Bonus: White is timeless. It never goes out of style.
  4. Use Samples: If you are really struggling to choose, samples are a sure way to help you make a decision. Looking at colors on a computer screen or sample swatch is hard, and if you can’t decide this way, it’s best to get a sample sticker or sample pot. Lighting, room placement, and décor are all factors to how the color will look in your home vs. how it looked on the swatch at the store. Buy a few tester stickers or pots and apply them to small areas with a mini roller and not a paint brush. Dark or light, they will be covered once the room is fully painted with your final choice. At Brushes Over Broome, we can provide this service for you for free on jobs larger than $5,000, or for a small fee if smaller.
  5. Sheen Decision: I know what you’re thinking. Your head is spinning with all the fabulous colors to choose from, now you have to decide on sheen! Don’t worry. We always default to the Matte sheen – since the paint we are using is a newer technology, top of the line paint, matte is a beautiful sheen that is still durable and washable without a high gloss to it. It hides wonderfully and provides a gorgeous finish. Eggshell is another sheen that is very nice- with just a touch more shine to it than matte. We always recommend Satin on the trim work, veering away from semi gloss – the new formulas of satin are very washable and durable while at the same time providing a finish our clients are loving. Finally, we always prefer flat on the ceiling. This ensures hiding imperfections.
  6. Color: Adding depth and character to your home can be easy by adding color pops here and there. Certain rooms, accent walls, and even accent doors are a perfect way to spice it up in your home. If you’re planning to use a few different colors, we always recommend sticking with 3-4 colors for the walls, 1 color for the trim, and 1 color for the ceiling. This will keep your home from looking too busy (unless that is your vibe, then go for it!)

Conclusion

At the end of the day, opinions of others don’t matter, even ours when it comes to color selection of interior painting. This is, after all, your home. You need to love it, enjoy it, and who cares what anyone else thinks? We are here to help, however, if this task seems daunting or overwhelming. Brushes Over Broome provides complimentary color consults to all clients, and we have had a great success with satisfied clients all over Broome County, NY!