The single choice of paint color will change the entire atmosphere of your living room. To find the perfect color for your home, start by deciding what you want the room to feel like.
Making the choice of what color to paint your living room can be difficult because of the myriad of colors available at every paint store. Don’t start out trying to pick the right color and the exact shade. Break down the decision process and begin by looking at the big picture. Try to decide what you want the room to feel like. If you want the room to be peaceful and relaxing, think of light, natural colors, such as soft whites, creams, beiges, sage greens and other earth tones that give you a soothing feeling. If you want a cheery room, pick cheery colors, such as bright white, yellow, warm pink or any color that feels sunshiny and happy. For an invigorating, classy room, choose warm, dark colors, from burnt orange to eggplant to chocolate. To make your living room cool and posh, pick stark black, white and cool blues.
No matter how light or dark or rich colors are, about half of them are warm and the other half are cool. You’ll be able to tell pretty easily which category each color falls into, but don’t get distracted from the way it will make the room feel by how pretty they are. Cool colors will give your living room a more impersonal, peaceful feel, while warm ones create an atmosphere of warmth, hospitality and excitement. Cool colors often coordinate with blue, and include pure white, black, gray, blue, all shades of purple, pink, and pastels. Warm colors have a closer relationship with gold, such as cream, brown, golden yellows, orange, orangey reds, and most greens.
One of the unique and often unnoticed qualities of color is that it can psychologically change the size of the room. Light colors make rooms feel bigger. This is why ceilings are often painted white, making them feel higher. Dark colors draw the walls of a room together, so people rarely paint rooms in very dark shades. If your living room is small, go with lighter shades. On the other hand, if you have a large living room, especially if it feels too big, a darker color can make it feel more homey and intimate.
No matter what shade of color you choose, the way to make it work is to put your efforts into creating balance. Unless you’re going for a monochromatic look, pick a wall color that contrasts with your furniture and decor. Balance is very important with dark paint colors. When a room has lots of windows, wide trim and light colored furniture, a dark color can be the best idea possible.
Don’t be afraid to pick a wild color. Take into consideration the way color affects the mental size of the room, get advice from friends and decorators and go with it! Keep a balance between bright or dark colors with light furniture and trim. Choose the atmosphere of the room first and select a color that achieves that atmosphere. You’ll make your living room a decorating success!