There may be no better way to bring together your interior spaces and make the personality of your home shine than by selecting the perfect paint color. Paint helps define a room’s function, ties larger spaces together, and allows you to express your own style and personality.
But when it comes to choosing the right paint colors for your Fairfax Station real estate or a home anywhere in the U.S., it can get a little tricky. We’ve put together the following guide to help you find the best paint colors to decorate your home.
Get inspiration from the outdoors
The first place to look for inspiration when searching for paint colors that will work for your home is its natural surroundings. The color schemes that you find in the grasses, wildflowers, trees, and shrubbery just beyond your home can go a long way in ensuring your interior matches the exterior.
Sample the various shades of greens, whites, and blues that surround the property at all times of day and in the evening. Open the windows and turn on the interior lights to see how the house sits at dusk. Take photographs and compare the home’s shadows and highlights at different parts of the day.
Sample the various shades of greens, whites, and blues that surround the property at all times of day and in the evening. Open the windows and turn on the interior lights to see how the house sits at dusk. Take photographs and compare the home’s shadows and highlights at different parts of the day.
Match colors with artwork already at home
You’ll likely have many cherished artworks, photographs, and family mementos on your walls already. The color schemes that you find in those pieces will take up some space inside, no matter where you choose to display them, so it’s important to incorporate those colors into your paint scheme.
If you notice that you have lots of art featuring metallic colors, for instance, choosing a more muted, neutral tone for your paint to complement them could be a good idea. If you have a multitude of black-and-white photos, select an off-white or cool gray color to serve as a backdrop.
If you notice that you have lots of art featuring metallic colors, for instance, choosing a more muted, neutral tone for your paint to complement them could be a good idea. If you have a multitude of black-and-white photos, select an off-white or cool gray color to serve as a backdrop.
Go a shade darker or lighter
In a lot of cases, you won’t need to find a drastically different paint color for your interior spaces to transform a room. Oftentimes, you can make a big impression by opting for a paint color that’s one or two shades darker or lighter to tie the room together. Be sure to stop inside your local paint store to grab a few paint strip samples and compare them.
Use the colors of your furniture
A home’s furniture is often one of the most important and eye-catching features of a home, so you must ensure your home’s paint colors complement any furnishings you have. When searching for new paints, take inspiration from the furniture in your home.
While this might sound overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. Simply take a pillow, piece of curtain, or tablecloth from the room in question to your paint store and find a few sample paint strips that match the darkest tones in the fabric. If you’re happy with the darkest tone on the bottom of the strip, you can usually be sure that the lighter mixtures will look good in the particular room you’re painting.
While this might sound overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. Simply take a pillow, piece of curtain, or tablecloth from the room in question to your paint store and find a few sample paint strips that match the darkest tones in the fabric. If you’re happy with the darkest tone on the bottom of the strip, you can usually be sure that the lighter mixtures will look good in the particular room you’re painting.
Don’t forget the trim color
You’ll also want to take the color of your trim, molding, and wainscotting into account when finding a paint color to suit your home in Fairfax Station, VA, or elsewhere. These architectural features of the home can be accentuated with high-quality paints that highlight your home interior’s best features.
You can make a big impact by painting molding and doorways slightly darker or lighter shades than your primary base color. This will give a room dimension and interest. Consider opting for a slight metallic glaze on your trim to bring visual attention to the height or width of your walls.
You can make a big impact by painting molding and doorways slightly darker or lighter shades than your primary base color. This will give a room dimension and interest. Consider opting for a slight metallic glaze on your trim to bring visual attention to the height or width of your walls.
What is the emotion you want to evoke in each room?
Above all, choosing the right paint color for your home comes down to choosing which feelings you want to evoke in visitors. You can use many techniques to bring out the emotional resonance in certain rooms just by selecting the proper paint. Below, you’ll find a few key strategies:
- Opt for brighter color tones and whites to make a room feel more spacious.
- To bring intimacy into smaller spaces, choose warmer color schemes or slightly darker shades of green or violet.
- Use bright yellows and calming oranges to create a welcoming atmosphere in rooms used for parties and entertaining guests.
- Reds, as long as they are in a tone and shade that matches the rest of the home’s paint scheme, can help boost appetite and sociality.
- Blues and greens are best when paired with natural light and open windows, and they can invite creativity and relaxation into a room.
- Bedrooms are a great place to introduce cooler tones of blue and violet, as these shades are known to improve sleep.
Understand how to create a natural flow
When determining which paint colors naturally complement your home, you’ll want to consider how they can help your home’s layout feel spacious and welcoming. Creating a natural flow between rooms using paint is a great way to introduce continuity and ground the home in its natural place.
You can make a room “pop” by using a color that bounces off a neighboring room. Your kitchen and dining rooms may have deeper, darker hues of red or brown, but consider using a cooler blue or hunter green in an adjoining sitting room to invite visitors to relax. You could also create a natural flow throughout the home’s corridors by accenting horizontal trim and molding in a color that catches the eye and leads it into the next room.
You can make a room “pop” by using a color that bounces off a neighboring room. Your kitchen and dining rooms may have deeper, darker hues of red or brown, but consider using a cooler blue or hunter green in an adjoining sitting room to invite visitors to relax. You could also create a natural flow throughout the home’s corridors by accenting horizontal trim and molding in a color that catches the eye and leads it into the next room.
Get in touch with a local real estate agent today
If you’re interested in buying or selling Fairfax Station real estate, have a question about the local area, or want to know the latest market stats in Northern Virginia, reach out to the highly skilled professionals at the DC Metro Realty Team for more information. They’ll be happy to help!
