Buying a new home is an exciting time! It is a chance to start a new chapter of your life with a “clean slate,” taking the design into your own hands and bringing your ideas to life. The process of decorating your new home can be an excellent outlet for expressing yourself and creating a space that makes you feel comfortable, happy, and at home. Choosing the colors for your new home should never be a stressful process. When you hit a bump in the road, try following these 5 intuitive home paint tips from the paint and design experts at Ricciardi Brothers to help bring out the interior decorator within!
The next time you step outside, notice your surroundings and the natural gradation of color from dark to light, ground to sky. Pay attention to the dark greens, browns, greys, and black of the ground and the mid-tone and bright colors of flora and fauna, and finally to the light whites, blues, and greys of the sky above. This gradation is one that is very natural to us and can easily be translated into your home. For example, if you are using blue as a prominent color, imagine beautiful wood floors with a dark blue patterned area rug, baseboards in Blue Danube, window details in Winter Lake, walls in Smoke, and ceiling in Marilyn’s Dress.
What makes you happy? Hungry? Tired? As “animals,” we are largely driven by our primal instincts and many of the spaces in our homes cater to our primal needs. A dining room for eating, a bedroom for sleeping, and so forth. Tap into these moods when considering paint colors for your home.
It has been widely proven that the best colors to promote hunger are the more passionate, warmer colors. When choosing colors for your dining area, you can’t go wrong with shades of red, yellow, and orange.
When it comes to the bedroom, sleep should be the main focus of your design. Therefore, colors that relax and calm are best, such as blues and greens.
When stumped on which colors to choose for your home, an easy solution is often to start with artwork or textiles you love. Temporarily hang a piece of artwork in your new room-to-be and envision the colors surrounding it. Notice the colors within the painting and pull from them to choose wall and accent colors. More muted or neutral colors for a wall can complement the artwork without overwhelming it. Accent colors for trim work can match less prominent colors in the artwork. If you’re starting with a textile, like a bold print couch, place it in the room and work from there. Remember to have fun!
When working with paint colors, especially if using a wide variety, remember to reference your color wheel. The use of color theory can help to create a room that is harmonious and pleasing to the eye. If out of balance, the room can either appear too boring or overly chaotic. Working with the color wheel can help when choosing complementary (colors across from each other on the color wheel) accent colors. Purple and yellow, green and red, and blue and orange are all examples.
Feng Shui has long been practiced in Chinese culture and focuses primarily on the orientation of people in their environments and the way in which everything works together in harmony. In the modern era, the practice of Feng Shui has carried over to home design. Using the five elements of Feng Shui and their corresponding colors, one can create a positive flow of energy within their home.
The possibilities for decorating your new home are endless, so remember to have fun and trust your instinct when choosing your perfect colors! Feeling stuck? At Ricciardi Brothers’ 40+ locations throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, our paint and decorating experts help people make creative design decisions every day, from paint colors to interior decoration. We also offer a wide variety of interior and exterior paint, deck stain, window treatments, and other decorating staples so you can make your new home your own. To learn more and to kick off your design project, please contact us today!
