Painting your home will improve its real estate curb appeal, but if you don’t know what color to paint, or what finish to look for, choosing the right paint and color scheme for your home painting project is not necessarily an easy job, but if you follow a few key points, you can be on your way to rolling on the paint in no time.

Using a Color Wheel

If you look at a color wheel, any color that is directly across from one color is its complementary color. Using complementary colors adds drama and interest. The colors that are next to each other on the wheel are related colors. Using related colors in a room can give a monochromatic, soft look that’s easy on the eyes. Using the color wheel, choose an anchor color that is either complementary or related to the color of the furniture, carpeting and drapery in the room. If you have a small or dark room, use a lighter color to make the room appear larger and brighter. If you’re thinking about selling your home soon, keep the colors on the softer side with popular color choices to improve the home’s overall sale price.

Choosing The Right Paint and Color Scheme For Your Home

The best way to see if you like the color is to buy a quart can and paint part of the wall. Leave it there for a few days to see how you feel about it during different times of the day. Often, a color will look different in person than on the little color chip you can get from the store. White, or a very pale shade of the wall color, is the best choice for any ceiling.

Matte Finish – Also called “wall paint” or “flat finish,” matte finish is usually the type of interior paint you should use on interior walls. Because of its inability to reflect light, it’s the best type of finish to use if you need to camouflage small wall bumps or other imperfections in the wall. The matte finish is usually easily washable, but you may occasionally have to touch up some marks with a little paint on a brush.

Paint Finish

• Flat Enamel – This is another type of matte finish, but it’s not as easily washed. This type is ideal to use in places that get low traffic, such as powder rooms.
• Eggshell Finish – The eggshell finish has a low sheen, such as seen on an eggshell. It offers just a hint of shine and is a good interior paint for walls. It is easier to clean than a matte finish.
• Semi-Gloss – This type of indoor paint finish is usually used on trim and doors. You can also use it on kitchen cabinets, due to its ease of cleaning. It offers a pretty shine, but not overly glossy.
• Glossy – The high-gloss paints are so shiny that they are almost reflective. They are not often used inside of homes, but are sometimes used in very formal or modern settings, due to the dramatic look they offer.