Color is one area where a lot of our clients don’t feel confident. Maybe you know what you like when you see it, but putting together a palette from scratch can be daunting. Today, we’ve presented some guidelines for beginning the color selection process for your upcoming home renovation in Atlanta.
Discovering What You Love
Very few of us can walk up to a paint chip stand and select a cohesive color scheme. Either we’ll gravitate toward a rainbow menagerie or a bland monotone. It’s much easier to know what you like when you view palettes that are already assembled, so start by dog- earing pictures you love in home decor magazines, building an Ideabook on Houzz, and creating a portfolio on Pinterest.
After you’ve sorted through several pictures from several sources, you’ll be able to identify color schemes that you gravitate toward repeatedly. Use these as the starting point for your palette.
The Role of Neutrals
Whether your style is contemporary, modern industrial, vintage, or something else, neutrals act as a stabilizer off of which other color choices can play well together. In fact, current trends indicate that neutrals are becoming more and more popular, which says that homeowners are looking for a more tranquil atmosphere in their home life. Neutrals give your home long-term livability and act as the perfect backdrop to hold your personal tastes together.
Don’t Forget Cabinets, Countertops, Flooring, and Appliances
When we think about the color selection process, most of us think primarily about paint colors. It’s important to remember, however, that in a major home renovation, each individual selection contributes to the color scheme. Your kitchen cabinets, countertops, and appliances add color and texture, and throughout your home, your floors act as a constant backdrop.
For instance, if you select a light, warm hardwood flooring, painting your walls yellow may leave you with too many gold tones, and if you select a rich, dark brown hardwood, you’ll want to think about the intensity a heavy wall color will give the room and if it’s something you desire to live with.
How to Get Started
If it’s true that each color and material selection is co-dependent, how and where should you start? If there’s one piece you love immensely, start with this piece and build around it. If, on the other hand, you don’t have a feature piece, start with a selection that gives you fewer options. For instance, in a bathroom, there are usually more tile options than sink countertop options, so it’s smart to start with countertops since you can match other selections to them.
Get a Second Pair of Eyes
Even with all these guidelines in place, we all need a second pair of eyes. Consult with your home remodeling contractor and your designer as you piece together your selections to ensure you’re creating a design that will satisfy you for years to come.
