1. Give Yourself Enough Time. We find that selecting paint often takes several trips to the paint store (We’ll explain why below). To have fun with this part of your renovation, make sure you give yourself a good week to make your final selection. You’ll be living with the results for years to come. Although you can always re-paint if you really don’t like it!

2. Find Inspiration. Maybe you have an accent pillow that you love, or you saw a stunning photo in a magazine. Scout for ideas from around your home or in the color of your furniture. We’ve even used the color of bedsheets for inspiration for the paint color in a bedroom. Bring your sample or a picture of your inspiration with you to the paint store. We’ve carried in a bag full of fabric in order to find just the right match for covering both chairs and the walls.

3. Take Advantage of Free Professional Advice. Now you’re ready to make your first outing to a paint store. We love Waters & Brown Painting & Decorating. You can find them at 281 Derby Street Salem, MA 01970 Phone: (978) 744-1007. You’ll find the staff to be friendly, helpful, and professional. And they carry our favorite line of paint – C2, which has sophisticated colors and is high quality. They also carry Benjamin Moore paint, which has great historical colors that work well for older homes in the North Shore Area.

Ask to speak with one of the Waters & Brown design consultants (they usually hang around the front of the store near the C2 line of paint chip samples.)  They have an amazing eye and will often pick a color that you may not think of that is “spot on”. Show them your inspiration or explain the look and feel that you are going for.

If you are using one of our painting subcontractors, you can take advantage of their professional eye as well. They’ll have good suggestions for what will work in your space.  Little known hint: Jamie also is an expert at finding the right color for the right space.

4. Use the Tools of the Trade: Color Wands, Paint Swatches, Color Chips, and Sample Paints. While at the paint store, pick up some samples to take home with you. If you are doing a lot of painting or think that you might re-paint in the future, you can purchase a color wand for $25-30. Each brand of paint has their own wand, so you’ll want to decide on which brand you are using before purchasing one. Otherwise go for the freebies. Every line of paint has free color chips. Select a range of samples that match your inspiration to take home. Once you have narrowed your selection down, you may want to purchase a few paint swatches which are larger paint chips (approximately 1 1/2′ x 2 1/2′, usually around $5). C2 line is the only brand that currently uses them (another reason why we love C2!) You can also buy sample paints in small containers or even a pint to paint a small area at home. We highly recommend this! To find out why read on…

5. Live with Your Choice for a Few Days. Save yourself money and disappointment. There’s no sense in purchasing gallons of paint (that are often not returnable) unless you love them. So take your paint swatch home and tape it to the wall. Roll up your sleeves and paint a small area with the paint sample. Don’t worry, the color in the can often looks nothing like the dried color on the walls. Don’t forget – wait until the paint dries completely as the color will change this way too. You’ll be amazed at how different a bigger swatch of the color looks than a paint chip.

Too much? You may be surprised at how much darker or more saturated a color looks on your wall. When looking at a small paint chip, our imagination often has a difficult time projecting what it will look like over many square feet of walls. Here’s a tip: if you like the color but it’s “too much,” ask the paint store to “knock it down.” They can add white to the color and reduce the saturation by 25%, 50% or 75%.

Too little? Many brands have gradated colors. Check out the colors that are next to each other on your paint wand or paint chip. Bumping it up a notch or two may be all the adjustment you need.

Looking for just right? Here’s a clever suggestion – feature one wall with a stronger, more vibrant color and then paint the remaining three walls a more subtle complementary color. This can add some drama to a room without being too overwhelming.

Now step back and live with your selection for a few days. Check out the color at different times of the day – it will change in the light. Look at how the color works where it adjoins to other rooms. Often times you’ll discover that a color that seemed perfect in the store looks nothing like you imagined at home. Or you may be surprised at how much you love the suggestion from one of the design consultants that didn’t seem right at the store.

6. Make a Healthy Choice. Now that you’re ready to head back to the paint store (one more time) to make your final purchase, make a healthy choice for you and your family. Indoor air pollution is one of the biggest health problems that we face in our environment. Buy a low or no VOC (volatile organic compound) paint. These have less toxic chemicals in them. For a few dollars more a gallon, you’ll be making a good investment in your health, and you’ll be helping the environment too. In addition, make sure you ventilate the freshly painted space for several days. We also like to leave essential oils in a small dish in the room where we are painting to help reduce the odor. You can buy a scent that appeals to you at Whole Foods in their beauty section.

When the paint dries, enjoy your perfect paint choice. As our one-year old would say, “Wooooow!” You did it!

We hope these suggestions will help you select a paint color that you love for your home. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing a room that has been under construction go from a raw, unfinished space to one that looks lovely and livable.

This blog is brought to you by James Gilroy House Wright Inc. We’re an exceptional builder, not your average contractor. We focus on serving clients in Marblehead, Salem, Swampscott, Lynn, Nahant, and Beverly, MA. We are happy to discuss your project with you. You can call us at 781-639-4868 or contact us from this website for a FREE estimate.