Overwhelmed by the number of wall paint colors to choose from? Here’s why you shouldn’t be.

Back in the day (I can’t believe I say this now), I rented my first apartment and was so excited to decorate… until I made my way to the paint swatch aisle and broke out in hives. Seriously, how are there so many colors?

And do we really need 75 different shades of white? I’m not a fence-sitter by any means, but I didn’t expect choosing wall paint colors to be more complicated than finding a guy (I think I need to take a course or something).

It’s not like you’ve got an interior decorator to throw you a bone, so here are the hard-and-fast rules of finding the perfect wall paint colors for your humble abode:

1. Choose a point of inspiration
Your home is a reflection of who you are – in a sense, your wall paint colors can say it all. You might choose a bright green that punches people in the face… or you might chicken out and choose a kinda-off-white-but-not-really. Both say everything without saying anything.

Go through your belongings (especially ones that will stay in the room you’re painting) and pick out the ones that inspire you the most. Do you see common threads of color? Are there colors you’re drawn to? This will help you establish a starting point.

2. Define the space’s mood
Don’t look at how the space currently is, but what you want it to become: Do you want it to be a relaxing retreat? Or a lively meeting place? Or a creative oasis? The mood you want to achieve will help you research suitable color palettes.

3. Do an inventory
Take note of the flooring, lighting and other key elements of the room you’re choosing wall paint colors for. You don’t want to fall in love with a color, only to find it clashes with your carpeting or your lighting makes it look washed out.

4. Choose your boldest color first
Use the 60-30-10 rule: 60 percent of a dominant color, 30 percent of a secondary color, and 10 percent of an accent color. In the case of your room, 60 percent are your walls, 30 percent upholstery, 10 percent a funky lamp, flower arrangement or painting.

If you’re going with two bold colors (one as your primary, one as your secondary), make your accent a neutral to give your peepers a breather. Since I live in a small space, I tend to go with bold primaries, neutral secondaries and bold accents – you know, to avoid living in a dungeon.

5. There’s an app for that
Most paint brands now have apps to make choosing wall paint colors less overwhelming. Check out these ones from Benjamin Moore, Dulux, Glidden, Olympic and Behr. There’s also a super cool app called Paint My Place that allows you to paint your room without lifting a brush.

6. Take your wall paint colors for a spin
Like I said, you never know what a paint color’s going to look like until you test it out. You might find your room’s lighting makes it look darker than you’d like it to be, or it’s not creating the mood you’d hoped for. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, buy a paint sample along with samples that are a shade or two lighter (since paint tends to dry darker).

Take each paint color, apply them to pieces of foam board and stick them to your walls. Position them in several parts of the room to gauge how they look throughout the room as the light changes.

7. Don’t be afraid to be bold
Go with your gut: If you’ve fallen in love with a vibrant green or a neon orange and you just have to fit it into your home somewhere, then do it! You want your home to scream, “This is me,” not whisper, “This is kinda sorta maybe not really me.” Paint isn’t permanent – you can always change it, but you can’t change what-ifs.

Once you’re at the store, paint-chip in hand, ask about their selection of environmentally-friendly paints. The majority of paints available today are harmful to the environment and the air quality in your home. They contain:

• VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds pollute the air in your home and can cause nausea, dizziness, eye irritations and respitory issues. They can creep their way outdoors too.
• Fungicides and biocides: These extend the paint’s shelf life and can be detected in the air up to five years later. What’s worse, if the leftover paint’s not disposed of properly, they can seep into the groundwater.
• Pigments: These are used to tint the paint to your chosen color. Avoid chemical pigments and look for paints made with all-natural.

Most brands now have environmentally-friendly paints available. Look for paints that have low VOCs, low biocides and natural pigments. Study paint can labels and company websites for more details.

Steer clear of oil-based and solvent-based paints. Your best options are milk paint, natural paint and latex paint with very low biocide and VOC levels.

How did you decide on your wall paint colors?

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Image: Scott

The post 7 Simple Rules for Picking Wall Paint Colors appeared first on EcoSalon.

In case you didn’t know, painted wall stenciling is the new paint—and the new wallpaper. Wall stencils are the latest rage in the home design world because it’s a fairly easy and inexpensive way to create custom wall treatments in your home.

And in case you are wondering just what wall stenciling is, it is what it sounds like—using a template or stencil to paint a design, pattern or words on walls. It’s a great way to create one-of-a-kind artistic wallpaper-like designs without having to be an artist or having to commit to wallpaper–just purchase the stencil you like, affix it the wall and paint away for a creative and unique space. Of course, using wall stencils are a little more complicated than that, but the guide below explains how it works. 

Where to Buy Wall Stencils

First of all, where can one purchase wall stencils? They are pretty much available at all your home improvement stores, but one of our favorite place to look for wall stencils is on Etsy.

Two other great resources are:

•  Royal Design Studio

• Cutting Edge Stencils

You just might get lost looking at all the unbelievable options on both of these sites!

How to Apply Wall Stencils 

Image: Cutting Edge Stencils

There is somewhat of a learning curve to painting with stencils, but it’s not anything you wouldn’t be able to pick up quickly. Just don’t expect to be perfect with your first attempt, and give yourself some practice time.

Here are some great tutorials for how to paint using wall stencils:

1. Basic Stenciling 101 – Cutting Edge Stencils
2. Stenciling Tips – Wall to Wall Stencils
3. How to Stencil a Focal Wall – HGTV
4. Stenciled Ceiling Tips – Not Just a Housewife
5. Trellis Stencil – Courtney Out Loud
6. Damask Stencil – Cutting Edge Stencils
7. How to Stencil a Wall Tips – Chi Chi Studio
8. How to Stencil All Over Patterns – Royal Design Studio Stencils
9. How to Paint with Wall Stencils – Apartment Therapy
10. Stencil a Wall: A Beginner’s Guide – Practically Functional
11. DIY Wall Stenciling – Bob Villa

How to Use Wall Stencils 

Image: Cutting Edge Stencils

Painting with wall stencils allows for so much creativity and so many options, the sky is really the limit.

• Stencil an accent wall.
• Use stencils on your furniture (the seat bottom of a wooden chair, a headboard, etc.).
• Create an all-over stenciled wall.
• Add corner accents to a room.
• Create a  framed piece of artwork by stenciling a portion of your wall and adding a frame to it.
• For something completely different stencil the ceiling OR the floor.

Top Image: Royal Design Studio

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Looking to remodel, renovate or reinvigorate your space? One of the easiest and cheapest ways to get the look of a massive remodel without the expense (and the headache) involves just a few cans of paint and a long weekend.

Gone are the days when walls are expected to be just a backdrop to the rest of our decor–nowadays, they can be the star of the show! The recent trend in interior painting is for minimalist decor and for the walls to be focal point.

Don’t believe me? Just took a gander at some of these wall painting trends.

1. Color Blocking 

Image: thepipe26

A big trend in both fashion and home decor, color blocking is simply creating visual interest and appeal by creating blocks of color. This can be done by painting large stripes, painting squares or rectangles or painting each wall a different color, the only limit is your imagination. See some fabulous color blocking painting examples on Pinterest.

2. Ombre

Image: AngieSix

Yet another big trend in both fashion and home design (there seems to be a trend forming here) is ombre. Ombre is when colors or shades of a color blend into each other.

While with color blocking the effect is bold and highlighting hard lines, with ombre subtlety and softness is the key. Here’s a great how-to video on how to get the effect.

3. Mixing Flat and Glossy Paint

It used to be the rule was living space walls should be flat with semi-gloss trim. But that rule has been thrown out the window. Walls don’t just have to be flat anymore. In fact, they can actually be the focal point of the room and even take the place of artwork, mirrors, pictures, or wallpaper. For example, use flat paint and gloss paint to create wall-paper like patterns, like in this example.

4. Stencils

Image: TheStencilStudio

Stencils are for people who like wallpaper, but hate applying wallpaper. You can make your own stencils or buy pre-made stencils to create unique freehand designs, repeat patterns, meaningful words, or really, anything. The only limitation here is your own fear and creativity. Let go and have fun creating a totally unique space.

5. Distressed or Shabby Chic 

Create a shabby chic or antiqued look with the distressed technique. Even if you live in a thoroughly modern condo in Manhattan, it’s possible to make your home look like it’s an old farmhouse, a pre-war Paris apartment or an aging English manor house.  Here’s a video how-to for rag painting to get that distressed faux painting look.

6. Metallic

Image: Sherwin-Williams

Metallic paint can add a bit of luxe to your walls. It can also be used to create a more industrial look as well. I like it when it’s used as a accent paint or to create wall-paper like patterns.

7. Trompe L’oeil

Leaving the best for last. Trompe l’oeil is a painting technique that intends to create a 3D optical illusion. It can be done in a very realistic way (where the illusion is meant to deceive) or in a more tongue-in-cheek way (in which the illusion is meant to be obviously not real). This chalkboard paint and “mirror” wall is a great example of the latter.

Top image: maureen lunn

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