NEUTRAL TERRITORY: CHOOSING HUES THAT CREATE THE RIGHT EFFECT
By Nathan Fischer, Ace’s Design Expert
Many homeowners tend to lean towards using neutral paint colors throughout most of their home. This may seem simple but selecting the perfect neutral shade can be a challenge. Use these tips when sampling colors and you can avoid small mistakes that can lead to the wrong result:
Paint typically has more color on a larger scale
A smaller paint chip may look like the right hue, but once it’s applied on the wall it can look quite different. So, test a large sample directly on your wall – the larger the better.
For example, what looks like the perfect gray-blue kitchen color as a paint sample can easily make the room look like a baby boy’s nursery once the roller hits the wall. For a subtle, muted blue try Clark+Kensington® Lucky Charm 1062. On a smaller scale, it looks quite gray. Painted on a wall, the blue will be more prominent than you think.
Pick the right spot to test colors
When painting a sample color in a room, most people pick a spot in the middle of the wall. Instead, try your sample where you can see your new color by itself, in relation to the room (not the old wall color).
The best way to do this is to paint your color on an area that directly meets a clean edge. I find a window casing, or a door casing, is a good spot to do this. Stand back, and view the color in relation to the white door casing that will always be there, not the old wall color.
Getting light neutrals right is tricky
The color of your flooring, window coverings, ceiling and even lighting can slightly change how your color will look on the wall. This is especially true with lighter neutrals. Paint a sample spot to see if your choice of color changes in the space.
If you’re stuck, Clark+Kensington Inspire Awe 3058 and Clark+Kensington Biscaya 2046 are a couple great light neutral paint colors that don’t have a tendency to look different once painted.
Use these tips for selecting neutral colors and it’ll be a breeze to find the right color you can be happy with for the long run.
Clark+Kensington® paint+primer in one is available exclusively at Ace Hardware. Our easy-to-live-with, designer colors harmonize perfectly and let you mix and match with confidence.
Posted: Sept. 6, 2012 in Simply Stated™, a blog from Real Simple®
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