Finding the Balance with Paint Color and Light

You think you know what color you want to paint your walls, until you walk into the home improvement store. Before you know it, you’ve spent days—or weeks—throwing samples up on the wall and still haven’t made a decision. One thing people often forget when choosing a paint color is how the lighting in the room will affect the color. A paint color that looks great in a well-lit room may not hold the same aesthetic appeal in a darker room. When selecting a new paint color, the design experts at Unique Flooring in San Diego, CA remind you to consider these factors.

Location
How is the room laid out? What direction does it face? Does it receive direct sunlight for most of the day or no natural sunlight at all? These are the first questions you should ask before settling on a color.

Rooms that don’t receive much natural light will need brighter colors to add warmth, while rooms drenched in natural light for most of the day can handle cooler shades that combat the brightness of the natural light.

Purpose
What is this room for? Consider the lighting in the room and how you want the room to look when it’s most often used. For instance, if you only use your formal dining room in the evening when there is very little natural light, you might select a warm, dark color that is complimented by lamp lighting. On the other hand, you might want an office to have lighter, brighter energetic colors that push you to work harder during your normal business hours.

Décor
What other décor is in the room? If you want the main focus in the room to be a bright red area rug or a navy blue couch, you’ll have to consider how light is reflected off those items and what paint colors are most complementary. You might really want to paint the living room sea foam green, but how will that look with the red area rug?

The best way to pick a paint color is, of course, trial and error. Throwing paint swatches on the wall and seeing how they look at different times of day will give you the best idea of what will work, but narrowing down your choices based on lighting will make it a whole lot easier.

Another thing people tend to forget about when painting is flooring. Flooring will also reflect light, and the brilliance of new paint will be lost if the floors are worn or in bad shape. New flooring doesn’t have to be expensive. For information on affordable wood flooring, tile flooring, laminate, or carpet, consult a flooring expert at Unique Flooring. We can help you select the best flooring for your taste and budget. Call us today at (760) 945-0010 to schedule a free in-home estimate.