10 Interior Designer’s Tips for Choosing Interior Color Schemes You’ll Love
Faith Led Interior Design Show | Episode 24
Color is one of my very favorite subjects in Interior Design.
Did you know that the color scheme for your home should be based on your skin coloring, or should I say your skin undertone? How do you choose your color scheme?
Selecting interior paint colors can be intimidating, tricky, and expensive if done wrong. What can an ordinary person do and how can one make color selections like a professional interior designer? What are the guidelines for selecting a color?
In this episode, I share 10 tips on how to choose colors according to your skin color and the lighting in your home. This is a deep dive, but simplified - and one I think, you will learn a lot!
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Be Blessed Verse
What does the Bible say about letting your light shine?
Matthew 5:14–16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
If you are a child of God, He lives in you. It is His light that shines through you. The Bible says we cannot save ourselves. Our perceived “goodness” does not get us into heaven. Actually, the bible says none of us are good, not one. This is compared to His Holiness, His perfection.
The goodness that we have comes from God living in us when we ask Him to do that. His goodness in us is like His light shining forth from within us. That way He is glorified, not us. Not one man can boast.
So let’s let our lights shine in our homes.
10 Interior Designer’s Tips for Choosing Interior Color Schemes You’ll Love
Colors are amazing!
Colors can change drastically based on so many factors and how we perceive them. The biggest factor is the light that the color is viewed in. Imagine an overcast day vs a bright sunny day.
How does this affect the color of a tree or a flower?
It can be fantastically different. In a shaded area, the exact same color can appear different, usually darker more grey, than the same color in a bright, sunny area. I rest my case.
Selecting interior paint colors can be intimidating, tricky, and expensive if done wrong. The question I get so often is what can an ordinary person do and how can one make color selections like a professional interior designer? What are the guidelines for selecting a color?
Photo by Debby on Unsplash
The main reason paint colors are hard to select is because the colors change with the lighting in the space. The color can appear different in the same room depending on how much light is hitting the area.
Not only natural light, but Interior lighting can also affect the color. Another thing that can affect color is the type of lightbulb. Is the bulb emitting warm or cool tones? How does the tone of the bulb affect the paint color?
I cannot stress enough “Test the color by painting a sample in the respective room or area”. It is imperative to use a test sample in different areas of the room before painting the whole area. Usually, 2 or 3 - 2'x 2' areas in each room are enough to get the feel for the color in the room. By painting different walls, we see the same color in the different lights of the room.
Here are some professional tips to help select the color that you love for the room:
1. Check color tone against a white background to get real shade
When looking at color chips put the color chip on a piece of white copy paper or something similar. The white paper helps you see the true color.
This tip really helped me see the actual color and I know it will help you too!
Game changer!
2. Test the color sample on the wall
Always buy a sample of 2 or 3 colors to test in the room first before getting purchasing large quantities. See the colors in different lighting and night and day.
3. Paint and check over 24 hours to see the color in daylight, under artificial light, or at night
You have painted 2' x 2' patches of the sample colors on different walls and look at them over a 24-hour period. That way you can see the color in the natural light and artificial light that is in that room. Be sure to turn on any lamps or overhead lighting and see the paint colors in that builder lighting too.
Photo by Joel Lee on Unsplash
4. Label each color sample to avoid mix-up
Number each wall sample in pencil and write the number on the paint sample can. Use pencil lightly and not ink on the walls, as the ink will not come off easily. Been there, done that. Also, I used to forget which sample was which. LOL, that’s not good!
5. Get a whole room perspective and see if the color harmonizes with the whole space
Stand way back from the samples so that you can see the colors with other colors that are nearby. View anything that will be in the same general area. View the paint samples with other items in the room. The floor colors, ceiling colors, wood colors, tiles, fabric colors, and window coverings. Does it all harmonize well? Standing way back to see the whole space and surrounding areas is a great help in seeing how everything is working together.
6. Check the paint texture and sheen
Consider the sheen of the paint. Flat paint will look different than an eggshell, a semi-gloss, or high gloss paint of the same color. As flat paint will reflect less light than high gloss or semi-gloss ones.
Photo by RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist on Unsplash
7. Don’t ever rely on Computer-aided programs to choose a paint color
Many paint companies have online computer programs. They show the color painted in a room. I never trust that because the computer color can be off and the color is not in my room, with my lighting. I kind of use it as a guide and then do tests in each room to see what the color really looks like in my exact room.
8. Get inspiration from online resources but always test first then buy
Get personal. An indulgence in something that provides pleasure, rich and sumptuous, comfortable and elegant. Think about if the item is both beautiful and functional.
Photo by Alexandra Mitache on Unsplash
9. Warm color base or cool color base?
What are your personal colors? Are your personal colors warm-based (yellow undertones) or cool-based (blue undertones)?
If your skin tone is warm-based, choose warm base colors.
If your skin tone is cool-based, choose cool colors to surround yourself with. The easiest way to find out if your skin tone is warm or cool-based is by visiting a cosmetic counter. The expert make-up artists deal with this every day and can help you with this advice.
10. Always choose the color you feel & look good in
Sometimes I use a favorite piece of my neutral clothing that I love on me for color inspiration. If it looks wonderful on me, it could look beautiful in the room. And then I look beautiful in the room. It’s very important! I become an intricate part of the room..that’s fun!
But seriously, we do feel good with colors that are right for us surrounding us. We look beautiful in those rooms too, yippee!
Also, we tend to choose things that are like us and that includes our husbands and of course, our children are a part of us. So don’t worry too much about their coloring. 9 times out of 10, their coloring and undertones are just like ours.
Photo by Curology on Unsplash
I hope you find these tips helpful. If you want to know more in detail about Interior design trends, color tips and tricks do take a look at my Free E-book here!
If you find value and want to subscribe to my podcast, that would be greatly appreciated. If not, that’s okay too. I just hope you get at least some takeaways and value from this episode. That is my goal!
As our verse for this week says, I pray that the Lord is with you, delighting and rejoicing over you with singing this week.
And, “Let your light so shine before men in your home.” This is one way that your home can be as unique as you! Shine girl, shine!
Next week, I will discuss: 5 Stunning Rugs Perfect For Any Space
Now, Stop Dreaming, Start Designing your luxury home and within your budget!
Blessings and See you next episode…
