Selecting the Right Interior ColorsDecorating your home is an exciting event, and paint offers you the ability to make colorful changes to your home. You can create a dramatic difference and make your home reflect your family's personality. It's easier than you think, too. You just need to know where to start!
Before beginning any project the most important question to ask is: What is the end result you want in your space? Once this question has been answered its simply a matter of determining how to use what you already have, or what you still need to acquire to complete your project.
Here are some basic ideas to consider when choosing colors for your interior painting project.
This is an excellent time to think about if you would like the space to be light and airy, in which case you may wish to select a color that is lighter in value. Conversely, if you’d like a dramatic area, you may want to select a deeper wall color.
We have listed seven color areas below and the general color feelings that are associated with them. Explore each one to determine what color may best suit your project. Keep in mind that the lightness, darkness, or intensity of a color all must be considered in determining the overall effect that will be presented.
Red is generally considered an energetic color. If you wish to design a stimulating area that motivates, promotes alertness and enhances activity, select the red color family.
The temperature of this color is interpreted as warm or hot. Warm colors from this area of the palette, include pink, rose, magenta, cranberry, maroon, burgundy, wine, mauve, ruby and crimson which have the feeling of advancing toward us.
The effect of this color creates vitality, encourages achievement, enhances activity, increases pulse rate, nurtures passion, promotes alertness and stimulates excitement.
Orange is generally considered an active color. If you wish to create an active setting that promotes movement and excitement, select the orange color family.
The temperature of this color is interpreted as warm or hot. Warm colors from this area of the palette, include melon, clay, salmon, coral, peach, rust and copper, which have the feeling of advancing toward us.
The effect of this color creates a fun atmosphere, encourages movement, invites friendliness, promotes a pleasurable spirit and suggests joyfulness.
Yellow is generally considered an innovative color. If you wish to develop a creative atmosphere which nurtures a sense of freedom, select the yellow color family.
The temperature of this color is interpreted as warm or hot. Warm colors from this area of the palette include ochre, buttercup, cream, gold, ivory, almond and lemon, which have the feeling of advancing toward us.
The effect of this color encourages spontaneity, inspires creativity, has a lightness of spirit, raises alertness level and suggests a feeling of serendipity.
Green is generally considered a calm color. If you wish to compose a color scheme that provides a relaxing ambience and incorporates the feeling of stillness, select the green color family.
The temperature of this color is interpreted as cool or cold. It should be noted that yellow-ish greens, may be considered warmer, while cooler greens tend to be on the blue side of the spectrum. Cool colors from this are of the palette include khaki, sage, moss, lime, mint, hunter, celadon, aqua, turquoise and teal, which have the feeling of receding away from us.
The effect of this color enhances concentration, facilitates judgment, nurtures relaxation, provides a refreshing atmosphere, renews the spirit and suggests a thoughtful essence.
Blue is generally considered a serene color. If you wish to provide a soothing environment which will offer a relaxing and peaceful surrounding, select the blue color family.
The temperature of this color is interpreted as cool or cold. Cool colors from this area of the palette, include robin’s egg, azure, delft, sky, denim, wedgewood, blueberry, royal, periwinkle, cobalt, ultramarine and navy, which have the feeling of receding away from us.
The effect of this color creates a calming spirit, combats tension, offers serenity, promotes thoughtfulness, provides introspection, has a soothing nature and supports relaxation.
Violet is generally considered an inspirational color. If you wish to create a sensitive environment that nurtures a sense of balance and purpose, select the violet color family.
The temperature of this color is interpreted as cool or cold. It should be noted that some violets, which are bluer may be considered cooler, while violets that are warmer will tend to be on the red side of the spectrum. Cool colors from this area of the palette include iris, amethyst, lilac, orchid, purple, lavender and plum, which have the feeling of receding away from us.
The effect of this color allows meditation, balances thought, expresses mystery, invites surprise, promotes elegance and has a sensitive nature.
Beige and grey are generally considered conservative and sophisticated colors. If you wish to create a thoughtful environment that exudes a feeling of comfort, select the color palette of beiges and greys.
The temperature of the beige color area is interpreted as warm; while the grey color area is considered cooler. Beige colors include shades of off-white, tan, taupe, ivory, oyster, pearl, sand, bronze and brown; Grey colors include shades of white, frost, charcoal, slate, graphite, onyx, silver and stone.
The effects of these colors suggest a comfortable attitude, imply stability and sophistication, promote a secure feeling, suggest a subtle environment and have a versatile nature.
Top 10 Home Improvement Myths So you have decided to tackle a home improvement project, but like a mosquito buzzing in your ear a question lingers - Are you making the right choices when it comes to investing time and effort into improving your home? It's a valid concern because not all home improvements are created equal.
To separate fact from fiction let's take a look at the top 10 home improvement myths:
Not true - while many remodeling projects will add value to your home, some can be seen as a negative by future buyers. For instance, combining two smaller bedrooms to create one larger bedroom may better fit your lifestyle today, but it may cause the home to lose value in the eyes of a future buyer who needs the two separate rooms.
Installing the highest quality materials always seems like a wise decision, but it can backfire. For instance, using the most expensive tile in a bathroom may impress your friends, but value conscious buyers may opt for a more affordable home if you have over improved for your neighborhood.
A better way to think about this statement is to insert the word useable into the sentence. Square footage in attics and basements that are finished, and by county standards considered livable, may not be attractive to a buyer if the space is sub-standard compared to the rest of the home.
Keeping a home vanilla so that buyers can choose their own style and décor sounds like a safe bet, but it ignores the fact that most buyers just don't have the ability to visualize the home differently. Without splashes of color and mixtures of texture, you could lose value to other sellers that have taken the time to consult with an interior designer.
Not necessarily. If a home buyer can't get past the exterior of your home because it has been neglected or doesn't offer good curb appeal, all of the work you have done on the inside may not net you any more dollars. To get the biggest bang for your remodeling buck, start from the outside and work your way in.
It depends on the starting point. If you only have one or two bedrooms to start with, adding a bedroom before adding a second bath is probably a wise choice since most buyers are more attracted to a three bedroom home. On the other hand, if you already have three bedrooms and only one bath, your next investment would probably be in a new bathroom.
Dry rot? Fungus damage? Mold problems? Carpenter ants? Termite issues? Nothing a can of paint can't fix, right? Wrong! Not only does this practice violate disclosure laws in most states, it can set you up for liability after the sale as most buyers will want you to foot the bill for these hidden issues.
Nope. A garage conversion is almost always viewed negatively by future home buyers unless you replace the lost garage with another space of equal size (but then what's the point?). If you are going to do one anyway make sure that the space can be easily converted back to a garage at the time of the sale.
For many homeowners wiring a new lighting fixture or plumbing a new dishwasher is a no-brainer, for the rest of us it may end up costing us more later in repair costs when we have to order the work redone by a professional. Another consideration is local and state laws regarding remodeling work. In many states if you have purchased a home to remodel and resell, you must either hold a contractor's license or hire a contractor to do the work for you.
This is only true if you live in areas where they are must have amenities. Be warned that this isn't true for most areas of the country and the idea of maintaining a pool for ten months out of the year when it can't be enjoyed won't appeal to most buyers.
Becoming an informed home owner is the first step in making wise and profitable decisions when it comes to choosing the right remodeling projects. But don't stop here. Talk to remodeling professionals, contractors, home improvement specialists, and local agents about what amenities are coveted most by home buyers in your market.
