Choose the Perfect Paint Color

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Don't buy on your first trip

Choosing paint requires two trips to the store. If you know in advance that you're not actually going to be choosing colors on your first trip, you can relax and get
. inspired

Stop by the store on a saturday evening after work to
. avoid the weekend crowd

Turn your fear into excitement and pull color swatches
. to which you're immediately drawn

.Take as many paint swatches home as you want

A fan deck represents the complete line of manufacturer's colors. These decks come organized and
. indexed for easy reference, but you have to ask for one
.Designers carry a fan deck with them at all times

Know your shades

Perhaps the biggest mistake people make in choosing color is not knowing the difference between a background color and an accent color. In cosmetic terms, the background is the foundation and the accent is the lipstick, eye shadow, and blush. If we understand that wall color is designed to show off the accessories in a room, then we can understand why choosing accent colors for the walls instead of appropriate background shades is a mistake

The goal with wall color is finding the most neutral shade that goes with everything you love, and that works as a background to which you'll add six more layers (flooring, upholstered furniture, accent fabrics, non-upholstered furniture, accessories, plants and
! lighting). Now, when I say neutral, I don't mean beige

From palest to deepest, every color has its most neutral shade. Find the one shade of that color that is the most versatile. For example, if you've chosen green, your goal is to select the most neutral shade of that green. Look for the one color swatch that is influenced by all the
. primary colors

Although your first glance at the hundreds of colors in a paint display can be intimidating, the paint manufacturer has actually done much of the work for you. Most manufacturers offer at least seven paint strips in every color grouping. On each paint strip there are six to eight shades ranging from very light to very dark. Each of the color groupings is in a specific order. Find those six to seven green strips, and the most neutral green strip is almost always in the middle. So, if there are seven strips, choose the fourth strip. Ta-da! It's that simple. The green strip located in the middle of the group is the most influenced by all the colors. Reread this paragraph
. until you absorb it