Color Palette choices!

What is the RIGHT Color Palette for YOUR home??

 

 

 

After experimenting with color over and over again we have determined that there is no right and wrong colors per a board of experts, the color choices are determined by what is right for you and your home.  Of course there are basic guidelines which usually produce cohesive results, but “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and that is where we need to end up.  How do we filter through endless color choices and select a great palette for your home?  Following are some steps that should make the journey a pleasure and give you great results:

 

• Magazines:  A great place to start.  It does not matter which home decorating or design magazines you select; the objective is to tag the room scenes that appeal to you.  When you finish this step and review your choices, you have already begun to establish your style and color attitudes. 
• Areas: What is the project: are we selecting a color scheme for:  the exterior of your home, the interior or a specific room?  Each of these sections has different guidelines and thought processes which will help us to achieve our objectives.  No one wants to hire a painter or paint themselves and end up being dissatisfied with the results.  Let’s look at each area separately.

 

EXTERIORS:  There is a lot of wall mass to consider when selecting a color palette for the exterior of your home.  In addition, the amount of sunlight tends to make the color selection appear lighter than the same color used in the interior.

 

Considerations for color compatibility:  Roof Color and composition, Driveway, windows, railing and landscaping.  All of these need to be taken into account before selecting the final palette.

 

If you prefer a deep tone, you may consider painting the trim (ephis, fascia, balusters, etc) several shades lighter moving up the color strip to select a good coordinate. 

 

Mid-tone shades also need a complimentary trim color; white-white is often a good choice as it will “pop” the body color.  You can also consider a deeper trim color, depending on the color family.

 

Light tones often use the same trim color, but this produces uneventful results unless there are additional architectural elements (shutters, etc.) where another color may be introduced for contrast and to add “life” to your home.

 

As a rule of thumb, I like the garage door to be painted the body color, a stronger deep-tone color used on the entry door (unless it is a wood tone).  We have also used several wall colors on the exterior to add depth and emphasize architectural elements.  When we introduce more than one body color, it is usually a shade or two different but very subtle, especially when dealing with a large home.

 

Whether you are dealing with the exterior or interior, the colors should flow and create a harmonious feeling from the time you pull up to your home, enter the foyer and each of the ensuing rooms.  These should be colors that you love and represent the personality of the family.

 

Please consider saving very strong colors for accents, most often we tire of bright colors quickly.

 

GENERAL COLOR ASSOCIATIONS:  Blues, Greens, lavenders, grays tend to be calming colors and when associated with whites and creams create a subtle and soothing effect.  Of course you can always, and should, consider stronger accents in accessories.  The lavenders and blues particularly lend themselves to opalescent, shimmery fabrics and glassware.  Reds, oranges, yellows are vibrant and exciting.  Using these tones and accenting with deep browns, tans and greens create a rich tapestry of color. Used in moderation, black is also a great compliment of almost any color scheme.  Tans, creams, stone, golds are meditative colors not dominating a room. Choosing to emulate nature gives us a wide range of choice from the clear yellows of the sun and daffodils to the deep blue of the ocean and the night sky, what a teacher Mother Nature is………….when she selects a palette!

 

We’ll explore interior choices next, I’m out of words………