Choosing interior paint colors for house

Hi, I'm new to this forum and thought I'd start a new thread! DH and I are painting nearly the entire interior of our house. Choosing paint colors is really difficult, though. We have a fan deck and have been taping the colors to the wall, to see how they look in different lighting, but we've only decided on three rooms' colors so far. How did others go about deciding on their paint colors?

[SoonerTexan]

My parents are a fan of buying the little sample jugs they now sell to try out the colors. My mom was trying to choose between about 5 colors for the kitchen, and the actual paint on a 5 foot area of wall looks way different than the samples. I think Behr at Home Depot has them. They also have a cool simulator there

Welcome!

Yes, I think once we narrow it down to 2 or 3 colors per room we are going to get the sample jars. It's the narrowing it down to 2 or 3 colors per room that's difficult! There are just so many colors in the paint brand we chose, and they're all beautiful.

[MarissaNicole]

I'd have to agree with buying the sample sizes. We were actually told by the paint store not to do that because then you may have to prime over it but I am sooooo glad we did do that with our bedroom because we were looking for such light green colors that when we tried them out on the wall one looked blue and another looked purple/gray.... so glad we hadn't bought a whole gallon of either of them first! Finally on the second try we got two colors that actually looked like pale greens and we chose one of those.

Welcome to the forum and have fun decorating your house!

[MarissaNicole]

I read in a paint book that you are supposed to chose something more neutral and use more unique colors for your accents through your pillows, lamps ect. We chose our bedroom paint based on the bedspread, and we'll pick our living room paint based on our couch/furniture.

For us I think we are going to try and stay in earth tones and not go too drastic from room to room. I am thinking our rooms will be in the greens, beiges, browns.

[DCJenn]

Ask anyone who has been to my house- I'm a huge fan of the color blocks on the walls. First I did a bunch of colors that I like- just to see how that particular color family would look in that area and then I narrow it down to five or six colors in that family and then I do my top two. I had to live with my top two yellows for a while before I decided- and I ended up with the perfect yellow for the space. (Behr's Melted Butter)

and only paint your rooms in neutrals if you actually like living in neutral colored spaced- I need color.

Jenn

And if you're buying good paint, you shouldn't need to prime over the squares. I've only actually needed to prime once in my life -- when I was painting a pale blue over a stencil with red, black, dark blue, yellow, and white (cars, trains, planes, etc.). I've painted over dark brown with "latte", over dark green with "saffron", over dark brown with "midnight blue", over a mustard yellow with "sage" ... you get the picture. Quality paint will cover.

[Deebs]

I ask my friends (whose homes I admire) what colors are on their walls. Then, I do the samples. I was once in a high end furniture store and had them find out what color one of their walls was. When I paint samples, I do a square on each wall and then live with it a while. It's amazing how different paints can look depending on light and time of day.

When I paint samples, I do a square on each wall and then live with it a while. It's amazing how different paints can look depending on light and time of day.

Yes, I have been finding that. We are taping the paint sqaures from the fan deck to the wall, and noticing how they change colors depending on exactly what you said. We are having professional painters do the painting, because we're painting about 60% of the inside of the house, and it's a big job. So we need to decide on the colors soon so that the painters can do everything at once. I think we need to look at more books/magazines for inspiration, because looking through the fan deck is overwhelming--so many beautiful colors to choose from!

If you like Pottery Barn style, PB actually sells their paints through Benjamin Moore, so you could pick colors via the catalog. Restoration Hardware also offers a paint line, but while I would match their colors, do NOT use their paint. I did several years ago with great coverage (the dk brown to latte I described above), but when I tried them again two years ago, the quality was GONE. I called the store and they confirmed they changed paint manufacturers. Uh, yeah ... I could tell.

[Deebs]

If you're using painters, let them buy the paint - they can get it at a greater discount.

[SuzySunshine]

If you're using painters, let them buy the paint - they can get it at a greater discount.

Yes, this! When we had some painting done, I actually went to the store and picked it out and put his name on it and he picked it up and paid for it.

[Vishenka69]

Yes Jenn inspired me to paint lots of sample color patches on almost every wall. I got close to 20 samples for 11 areas. 41

SW offers free color consultation if u get their paint

I am finding that the hardest room to choose colors for is the dining room. I don't even know what color family to go with. I have read/heard that choosing a fabric first is often the best way to go, and I will be trying that approach. The fabric might be for a window treatment or upholstery for dining room chairs.

Did most of you paint your house after you had moved in, or do the interior painting before you moved in? Did you do the painting all at once, or room by room in a leisurely fashion?

[DCJenn]

We always paint after we move in because I need to live with the colors for a while.

I just had my contractor (George- I tell him he's my for-hire Honey-do) come out today with his painter to do the estimate for the dining room, kitchen, atrium area and my bedroom because those rooms will require scaffolding and that's way above my skill set. I did all the rooms I could reach - we have 11 foot ceilings. (why to they call them that- the ceiling isn't 11 feet, the walls are. but I digress) The rest of the house has 20 foot or higher ceilings (the addition that was done in the 1980s)

Jenn