Building a new home has been gaining popularity in recent years. Home buyers like the idea of customizing their homes, and let’s face it: picking out cabinets, counters and all the finishing touches is fun! However, many people get so caught up in the the process of selecting flooring and counters that by the time the builder asks for paint choices, the task seems daunting. There’s a lot to consider when choosing paint for a home being built from the ground up–and I’m only talking about interior colors! Take a look at the latest color palette I created for a 4 bedroom, 3 and 1/2 bath new build. The home owners are going for a neutral, fresh, cottage feel, as the views of this home showcase Lake Erie.
There’s a lot to consider when selecting paint colors for a new home. Here are my tips for creating a color palette for an entire house.
1. Decide on paint color AFTER you’ve selected major materials such as flooring and cabinets. Paint color is adaptable and easy to change, so it’s best to choose it after everything else has been decided.
2. Consider the furniture you’re placing in the home. Most people bring furniture with them when they move into their new home. Consider the fabrics of couches and bedding you’re bringing with you. Consider the wood tones of your dining table and bedroom furniture. If you’re going to be purchasing a lot of new furniture for the home, you should ideally know what you’re purchasing before you choose paint colors.
3. Keep larger and frequently used spaces, such as family rooms and kitchens, neutral. The three larger color blocks on the palette above are for the major living areas of the particular house I created it for: the family room, great room, and kitchen. Take risks with smaller, less-used spaces such as dining rooms and powder rooms.
4. Don’t push aside white colors! Too often I see people ignore the white spaces in their homes, such as ceilings, baseboards and doors. While it might seem like white areas are easy to decide on, they’re actually very tricky. If you choose a white color that’s too warm, your white areas will seem yellow. Likewise, if you choose a white that’s too cool, your white areas might come across as blue or too bright.
5. ALWAYS test samples of the colors you’ve chosen before the entire space is painted. Taping paint chips on the wall just isn’t enough. You need to see large sample areas to make sure the color looks how you expect it to. Color is a sensitive thing, especially to light. The beautiful gray you picked out in the paint store just might look purple once it’s in your space. The only way to know for sure is to test the paint in the space. Most of the time, your builder will be more than happy to have the painters do this for you. They’d rather get it right the first time than have to spend more time, and money, repainting because the client isn’t happy with the color. As always, paint sampling comes with all color services offered by Vanessa D Interiors.
This palette was created using Sherwin Williams paint colors. If you’re building, renovating, or redesigning and are interested in color services, contact me.