Choosing a wallpaper accent for our new bedroom

Tips to help you choose the right paint for your home

If you're a home owner who wants to change the color of the interior or a realtor who wants to put a house up for sale and wants to give the rooms a breath of fresh air, it can be somewhat difficult to pick a paint that is not only of good quality, but also coordinates in color from room to room and from interior to exterior. This process is made more difficult by the availability of a wide variety of sheens, colors and qualities in the market. Below are a few tips that will guide you in choosing the right paint for walls.

Choosing between oil and latex—paint comes in either oil based or latex and choosing one depends on a couple of things. Latex is the most popular and preferred paint as it is easy to clean up, is fade resistant and is long lasting. It also blisters less and breathes better than oil based paints. Latex paints are better recommended for most walls and household uses.

Oil based paint is better for priming wood trim and moldings as it seals knots and stains on the wood better than latex paint. You can use oil based paints as an under coat and a latex paint as the top coat.

Choosing a sheen—an important aspect about sheen is that it accents flaws, imperfections and blemishes so choosing a gloss depends on the room you want to paint. Glossier paints are easier to clean up and thus should be used in rooms such as the kitchen or high traffic rooms such as children playroom. They also go well with trim as they provide it with a nice finished look.

Semi-gloss paint is a nice option for baths and laundry area and hallways due to the ease of wash-ability and less shine. It is also a cheaper option compared to the gloss finish.

Flat and matte paints provide no shine and are perfect for low traffic areas such as living rooms, ceilings and bedrooms. They are not as easy to clean but give the room the best of both flat and glossy options and are perfect for walls with imperfections.

Choosing a color—if you're a realtor looking to sell a house, choose a white or off white color for the walls to allow the buyer to choose any other color to paint over it while giving the rooms cleaner and brighter appearance

As a home owner, choosing complimentary colors such as red and green, give the rooms a nice play feel off each other while colors near each other on a color wheel such as purple and blue allow one color to stand out more.

For a more subtle and soothing look, choosing colors within the same shade is advised. Furthermore, painting with colors such as blues, purples and greens make a room appear larger and more relaxing, giving off a feeling of tranquility, while bright colors give the room a more vibrant look.

For more information on focal points, ambiance and looks, go here


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