Choosing colors for an interior space of a house often turns into a group project and the results can be quite varied in appearance. Once the painting is complete, the reactions of those involved can be quite varied as well, for undertakings like these can bring out the best or even the worse in those involved. Here are a few guidelines aimed at making the paint color selection process a little less troublesome.
Ceilings
With ceilings, the home painter has two basic choices. Paint the ceiling white or match the color of the ceiling to that of the walls. A good rule of thumb is that the darker the walls are, the more reasonable it becomes to paint the ceiling white, so any light, whether it be natural or artificial, is reflected back into the room. A light-colored room often includes a ceiling that matches the color of the walls.
Light Versus Dark Walls
A bedroom with an intense hue to the walls can be a great place to wake up, but once the sun has gone down, how will the color appear under the glow of artificial light? Before you paint your bedroom with a brilliant shade of "rain forest green," you might want to consider all possibilities. In this situation it is often true that the more natural light that enters a room, the better a deep color will appear. A room filled with 8-foot tall, double-hung windows and supporting 12-foot ceilings can probably handle a rich color, but one should consider a light-colored or even a white ceiling.
The Color of Trim
It is common practice to paint the wood trim in a room a slightly different color from the walls. In most places, the wood trim consists of baseboards, door molding and the trim that surrounds a window. A chair rail is also possible, as is cove molding around the edge of the ceiling. But in many cases molding that is placed next to the ceiling is painted the same color as the walls. A common practice is to choose a color for the woodwork that accents the color on the walls. This means using a similar color, most likely with a richer tint, and often a high-gloss paint is used to further accent the trim. It is also possible to use a contrasting color for the trim, but the choice of color has to be just right for this to work. Another option is to paint all the woodwork a glossy white or off-white. No matter what decision you make, it is a good idea to have selected all colors before the painting begins.
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