How to use a color chart to choose the color of your paint in West Chester, PA?
You want to start painting, but your heart swings at the vast palette of colors available to you.
In this case, it is recommended to use a color chart. To help you in your selection, we thought we should share a few steps.
1 – Obtain a Paint Color Chart
The choice of color is not made directly in a store because the optimal conditions are probably not available: the lighting, for example, will inevitably be different from that of your home.
A true source of inspiration, a color chart will allow you to define the appropriate color to dress your walls while reflecting with your head rested.
Available in several forms (fan, notebook, accordion, etc.), this small catalog can be found in DIY, decoration, and paint stores, and also on the websites of these stores and the main paint brands.
Note that a paint color chart is often not free. It can also be downloaded from specialized sites. Still, its accuracy may be poor compared to the paper version because a computer screen’s brightness may slightly alter the real rendering.
2 – Study the Room/Area to be painted
Before looking at the color family that might interest you, it is recommended that you consider the surface’s characteristics to be painted.
If it is a dry or wet room, you will opt for a matte or glossy paint (there are color charts suitable for these options).
Note that if you paint all four walls of a room in the same shade, the result may seem darker than expected.
On the other hand, a color applied to the window sidewall against the light will also appear darker than that of the other room walls.
Also, remember that the furniture and decorative objects must harmoniously match the paintings.
3 – Find the main color
You have carefully studied your room, its brightness, its furniture, now is the time to choose the actual color.
The color chart uses a gradient ranging from the lightest to the darkest shades for the same color family.
You will thus see a board for shades of yellow, blue, red, green, orange, black, gray, white, purple, pink, brown, etcetera.
It’s up to you to see the atmosphere you want to give to your universe.
The light colors increase the impression of space, and the dark ones apply on the brightest walls.
The timeless colors (brown, gray…) confer a cozy atmosphere perfect for places of reflection such as offices or libraries. The stimulating red and yellow colors awaken the living rooms.
The cool shades (blue, green…) bring serenity and concentration in the space of relaxation and rest.
Proceed by elimination because there are colors that you do not like. Once you have fine-tuned your families’ selection, place the color chart in front of you and scan through the different pages to find the perfect tone.
It is important to operate in daylight. Once you have determined the dominant color, you can proceed to the right combination of shades.
4 – Choose complementary colors
The main color found? It’s time to narrow down your choice for complementary colors.
To do this, take your color chart and open it to the pages that approximate the color that was initially chosen.
If you find it difficult to decide, cut out the color squares and place them on a black surface to bring out each shade’s subtlety (very useful when it comes to slicing between gray, very light, or dark shades, for example).
5 – Perform a test on the surface to be painted
If the crush is confirmed, you can buy the paint based on the color chart, without any additional step.
Are you not 100% sure? In this case, opt for some doubt security by obtaining samples of paint that you will apply in small touches on your wall under the same conditions as those recommended previously (brightness, observation at different times of the day…).
Most brands offer jars or applicators miniatures to be tested directly on the surface to be painted and large colored squares to be taped to the wall.
Samples are usually chargeable, but the result may justify the expense.
The Bottom Line
If you need help in choosing paints, paint colors, and repainting your home, our team at Left Moon Painting can help.
We have years of experience offering residential repainting services in Kennett Square, PA, and West Chester, PA.
If you would like to try us, request a FREE estimate below to get started or call us at (484) 757-5295 for more information.