Decorating with Color*Color Tips*Color Schemes

Color & Inspiration:

What color do you like? How does that color make you feel? You can be inspired by color in many ways and from virtually any source.

Maybe you wouldn't want to paint your walls your favorite color, but instead, use your favorite color to inspire the look and feel of the room by painting with a complimentary color and then incorporate your favorite color into the over-all color scheme. (in furniture, a rug, art, drapes, etc.) Use that as your "color tip" to get you started!

Say you have a comforter, pillow, or even a favorite blouse that you love, then try starting with that item. You may just come up with some great ideas! See the pictures of bedroom's below. The wall color was pulled from a color in the comforters. It ties the room together.

If that item is a solid color, then use the Color Wheel to find another color that will work with your starting color idea (if you don't want to paint the walls that color). Then you will have an idea of two colors for the room. Work from there and see what you come up with. Once you have a two or three color scheme worked out, then it's a matter of how to use and apply those colors to bring the room together to create unity.

If the item is a print, what color are you most drawn to? Would you paint your wall with that color? Will it work with your existing flooring, fabrics and furniture or are you doing a complete room make-over? Once you decide on the wall color, then measure the room and take your sample and measurements to the paint store to find the matching paint color. The paint store will help you determine the amount of paint to buy and assist you with matching.

The remaining colors in your sample will be your room's color scheme for furniture, rugs, drapes, pillows, etc. Typically you want to work with no more than three colors and then you can add splashes of other colors in from decorative accessories.

Will your flooring work with this new color palate? If not, then try to choose flooring that will work for color changes in the future since it is the largest expense other than new furniture.

Don't be afraid of color. Decorating with color is fun, exciting, it brings out your personality and creates special moods in each room.

If you are interested in the effects a color has on your mood, then be sure to read about Color Therapy

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Painting your Walls with Color

Start with Painting your Ceilings

If your ceiling is textured heavy with a popcorn type finish, then before you begin painting, take a tool such as a 1/2" to 1" flat edge scraper etc., and run it along on the ceilings edge (by the wall) and knock off the texture. There is a special tool made for this that sheet rock finishers use to create a clean line for painting. I find in most cases they don't do this because it takes time and usually the sheet rock person is not the painter thus it is not their problem!! If this is not done, then it is impossible even for the best painters to create a clean, crisp ceiling line because when the paint brush hits one of those bumps it throws the straight line off.

Be sure to move as much furniture out of the room as possible and cover your floors with drop cloths as well as all furniure remaining in the room. Remove light fixtures and cover ceiling fan blades with newspaper. Ceiling paint splatters everywhere when you start rolling on the paint. It's a good time to take off the electric switch plate covers and outlet covers since you are painting the walls next anyway. Be sure to store all your screws and hardware in a zip lock bag.

Always use a quality paint brush. I always use the brand "Purdy" and I like the angled brush for "cutting in". Cheap brushes shed the bristles on your surface and don't hold the paint as well. When using a brush, dip the brush in the paint 1/4 to 1/2 the length of the bristles and wipe one side of the paint off on the edge of the paint can.

On to Painting the Walls

Most average sized rooms need a minimum of two gallons of paint. No matter what the paint can says, two coats of paint is usually always required! You should always "box" the paint. This means:
Take how ever many gallons of paint you purchased and mix them together in a large container or bucket and then pour back into the gallon cans. This is important because each gallon can be just a little color different. By mixing them together, you have a consistent color now.

Begin your walls with "cutting in" with a brush at the top of the walls where the wall meets the ceiling, in all the corners, and around electric outlets and switches. Your paint in these areas should be at least the width of the brush or about 4" down from the ceiling and in the walls corners because when you start to roll the walls, the roller will not go all the way in the corners and you want to keep the roller away from the ceiling you just painted.

Be sure to put a piece of tape over the outlets to keep them clean. If you need to, tape off your base boards at this time. "Cutting in" requires two coats of paint also for good coverage. That was the hardest part. Now your ready to roll.

You can use a roller tray with a disposable lining for quick clean up or a painters bucket and screen. If you have heavy textured walls you will need a thicker roller.

Start at one of the corners and roll on the paint evenly but not in a straight line. Rolling straight up and down in a line pattern will cause lines or streaks. Don't put the paint on too thin and not so heavy that you will have runs. Just a good first coat coverage. Let the first coat dry well. Your probably ready for a break at this point and it's best to wait to apply the second coat for at least four hours. Read the paint can for this information. Each paint type is different.

If you are using regular masking tape, don't leave it on long (more than a day). It is best to use painters tape.

Once you have your second coat on the walls, then you can check for spots that need touch up and start cleaning up.

A great tip for when your in between coats of paint is to wrap your brush and your roller in plastic wrap (instead of washing them) and then place in the freezer. When your ready to paint again they will be stiff at first but will quickly thaw to normal. This is a big time saver! Washing these tools when finished is really important. Good tools such as paint brushes are an investment and you want to keep them in good condition.

Your trim work is always done last. Your baseboards, doors, door molding, crown molding, chair molding and windows. These surfaces should be lightly sanded and then cleaned for the best sleek look. Once painted and dry, you will probably need to caulk. Caulking is easy. A little messy but a necessary step. Hold the tube at an angle where needed and squeeze a line of caulk out. Then take your finger and smooth it into place (pushing it where it needs to go). Then take a wet cloth and wipe away all the excess caulk on the surface. Remeber, caulk is used as a filler and should be finished neatly and clean as possible. You will need a bucket of water handy to wash out your cloth rag often. Your trim work is the finishing touch to the rooms walls and you want it to look it's best.

Good luck and feel free to email us from the "contact us" page for any questions you have.