Color enhances a room’s energy. Bold colors can make a loud design statement, and pastels create a soft, subtle ambiance. Bright colors can liven up an otherwise bland space, while neutrals act as a blank canvas. But the question is: What color is right for your home? What energy are you looking to create? We asked our expert interior designer for sharing pro tips on selecting the right colors for your home…
Consider Lighting
“When picking out paint colors for your home, there are many factors that play a role in the outcome of the color selected. It depends on the lighting, whether it is incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, natural outdoor lighting, etc. All of these lights put off different tones which can manipulate the color. It also depends on which way the room is facing, for instance a room facing north or west may not have as much sunlight resulting in the color becoming deeper in tone because there’s no natural light.”
Color Undertones Can Be Deceiving
“Color is tricky…it may look one way when in your hand and another when applied on the wall. When selecting colors, it’s always best to make the selections by putting the paint on the wall in different areas of the room. Once the paint is dry, give it a few days to look at it from dawn till dusk with lights on and lights off. As the lighting throughout the day changes, so will the color of the paint.
You can be surprised how a gray color will go from gray to blue to green. This is because all colors are pigmented with different color formulas making up the such color. Some grays for instance may have more blue than green, more green than yellow. When the lighting, whether it be the daylight shining through your windows or the incandescent bulbs in your ceiling, it will pull out the undertones in which are what make up the color selected.”
Selecting Colors
“Therefore, when selecting colors, it’s always best to select a few of the same color in both cool tones and warmer tones. This way when you are viewing the colors in the room you can add and take away what does and doesn’t work. Keep in mind, color is based on a palette and the color location is very important in this palette. For instance, if the furniture is colored green or the trees outside are close enough to the house and the sun is shining on them, they may cause the color in the house to change, as well.”
If you’re looking to freshen up your current home with new furniture, window treatments, decor or a fresh coat of paint, be sure to check out our “Color” Pinterest board for creative ways to integrate color into your home!
Tom Len Custom Homes is your one-stop shop for building your custom dream home from the ground up, or remodeling your current living space! As the North Shore’s premier remodeling and home builder, we compliment our talented team with Chicagoland’s best interior designers. Our in-house specialists dedicate themselves as a liaison between you and our contractors to make sure it’s truly your home, your way. When you choose Tom Len’s team of interior designers, we promise their talents will both surprise and delight you! Color transforms a home’s interior as well as the mood of the people living in it. A careful and cohesive plan will reflect your home’s beauty and functionality.
Tom Len Custom Homes proudly serves the following areas in Chicago’s North Shore: Northfield, Glenview, Glencoe, Deerfield, Wilmette, Winnetka, Highland Park, and Riverwoods.
