It seems that time and time again I learn of people trying to choose a paint color FIRST before they decorate and accessorize a room. Inevitably they are disappointed in the color and wish they had done something a little differently. They find themselves getting more and more frustrated as they shop endlessly for the perfect bedding, side chair, or sofa. This feeling of disappointment in a chosen paint color CAN be avoided.

FIRST, pick the major pieces for the room (i.e. sofas, flooring, and other large ticket items). Try to keep these pieces in the neutral tones and patterns whether they are in warm or cool colors. By doing this they can last the any changes in your style and preferences over time. SECOND, choose a color inspiration item. This inspiration item could be the area rug, a throw pillow, a piece of art, a sculpture, or even a personal item that will reside in the room. THIRD, build your paint color palette from this inspiration item.

I feel like I am repeating myself and perhaps I’ve discussed this process in the past. However, I cannot say it enough…do not pick your paint color and THEN try to decorate the space around this color. It is far more difficult to match bedding, artwork, and accessories to a paint color on your wall than it is to choose the paint based one of these items.

For example the fabrics for the upholstery, curtains, and accessories as well as the rug are selected for a room as follows:

Based on these selections I would recommend a few different options. For a warm and cozy room pull the dark brown out of the patterned upholstery. For a cooler or fresher feeling pull the light gray out of the floral patterned upholstery. For a color palette that leans toward a monochromatic feeling (with a few color accents) select a shade of green that is somewhere within the same color family as all the shades of green found in the fabrics. And finally, for a more neutral selection a warm shade of creme found in the base of the floral upholstery would be the best option.

Hopefully this advice I am offering helps you…at least a little bit. If you aren’t sure and find yourself stuck in choosing a paint color simply send me an email at questions@theidesignbox.com with a digital image or link to an accessory that you are using as the inspiration item in your room. I’ll offer a few recommendations to point you in the right direction.

Happy Painting!