As a homeowner, you are probably aware of the ongoing laundry list of projects you want to tackle. From renovating your kitchen and bathrooms to painting the bedrooms and guest room, you have plenty to keep you busy. As you research design styles and paint colors, it’s important to not choose things on a whim, but rather put some thought into your selections. The last thing you want is to spend time and money on a project that ends up looking boring or garish.
With that in mind, the following tips can help ensure that you select the perfect color combos for your home renovation projects.
Go Up From Dark to Light
An effective and proven way to choose colors when redoing a room is to go from dark to light in a vertical fashion. Start with a darker color for your floors, medium hues for the walls and lighter colors for your ceiling. If you have “Renovate Kitchen” on your to do list, this tip can be especially useful in this highly busy space. Deep brown hardwood or charcoal laminate on the floors will hide stains better than cream-colored tile; grey quartz or tan granite with complementary back splashes will also look terrific; as will an off-white or other light-colored ceiling paint.
One of the many pluses about tackling a kitchen remodeling project is the wide range of costs for each product. By doing some research on the cost to renovate a kitchen, you can easily choose materials that will fit nicely into your budget. New kitchen flooring ranges from over $1,000 to about $5,000, and countertops run from $900 to $5,000. Using these estimates, look for the finishes that you love for your kitchen renovation that will not break the bank while still giving you the updated look you desire.
Pick Your Favorite Colors
If you stick with colors that you already love, your renovated rooms are sure to look great. Use your favorite shades as the base of each color scheme and go from there. For example, a blue and yellow bedroom can then be accented with harmonizing shades of these colors along with basic white and off-white accessories. When choosing paint colors, take a number of color chips home and hold them against your furniture, curtains, appliances and artwork. Choose two or three shades of your favorite colors and then purchase small samples of each one to “test drive” them on your walls — this will take extra time and money but it is well worth it.
Think About Each Room’s Use
Another effective way to choose color combos for your room renovation projects is to consider what space is used for and what mood you are trying to convey. Certain colors like lighter blues and greens are considered to be calming colors, while bold and vivid shades like magenta, bright yellow and fire engine red are more invigorating. With this in mind, you might want to select soothing shades for the walls, comforter and furniture in your bedroom and the guest room, and leave the louder colors for livelier areas like the family room where everyone gathers to watch movies and hang out.
Color is one of the best ways to inject your personality into your home, so as you remodel, don’t be afraid to add plenty of pizzazz with certain shades for the paint and accessories. Take it room by room and go with what you love, and you won’t go wrong with your color selections.