10 PAINTING TIPS 29th December 2016
10 PAINTING TIPS.
Have you ever asked yourself why do we find one place more appealing and not comfy in another? Why is one product more attractive over others? The reason is Color it accounts for 60 percent of our response to an object or a place.
The “buzz” about color is usually called “color psychology.” But the effects of colors are subtle and very important; physical and psychological. The importance of color is often underestimated. Color use is very important to us personally in our homes and work places.
Always pick a small project to start
Most of us are not sure where to begin with color, experiment in a guest toilet or bathroom, a small area between rooms, or a possible feature wall. When doing your own painting, pick an area that can be completed quickly so you can see your results sooner, and be happy with it or change it. This process is an adventure.
To get started, select a favorite color drawn from artwork, a rug, dishes and an accessory or furniture piece as a main color or accent.
Think About the Feel (Mood)
When choosing a color, consider the feel of a room. In your bedroom do you want the feeling to be restful and soothing or dramatic and intimate? Soft, cool colors and neutrals usually create a quieter feeling while stronger colors are used for dramatics.
Do you want a dining area to feel sociable and stimulating or appear formal and quiet? Warmer, contrasting and somewhat brighter colors add to a sociable atmosphere; deeper blue-greens and neutrals will give a more formal ambiance.
Do you want kid’s rooms to create an active and exciting energy or an orderly and restful feeling? Be careful not to overdo the room for your children with intensely bright hues. You may not know it, but some brighter colors can lead to unrest and irritability.
Attention to Lighting
This is the reason why paint stores have light boxes for you to test paint chips:
- Natural daylight shows the truest color;
- Incandescent lighting brings out warm tones and yellows;
- Fluorescent lighting casts a sharp blue tone.
So, a strong color might be too bright and overpowering when used on all walls or next to a large window, but it might be effective when used as an accent wall with indirect light.
Know Your Color Terms
This helps to understand the terminology used to describe color.
- Hue is what we call a color. Red is the hue; blue is the hue.
- The value of the hue is how light or dark it is.
- Saturation refers to how dominant the hue is. As we go from red to pink, the red hue becomes less dominant.
- Intensity is the brilliance of the color. The pure colors such as red are more intense than the combined colors such as yellow-green. A stronger intense color usually has a more dominant hue.
If you want a more active space, consider introducing stronger, more intense color. Even if you want a light-colored room, choose colors that are slightly more saturated than off-white or light pastel. Very light color can feel bright and stark when it appears on all surfaces in a room. However, two or more medium-light, closely related pastel colors can create a luminous effect when used in the same room.
Always Test Your Color Choice’s
Feel confident by testing colors on boards or large areas of a wall. Be bold go beyond your comfort zone: Look at strong, bright colors or soft, neutrals like chocolate brown or olive green as main or accent colors. Add drama with a stronger color on the ceiling. Tinted ceilings can dramatically change the whole look of a room.
Depth with Decorative Finishes
Transform flat, walls (dull) into interesting and private spaces with subtle or dramatic visual texture and broken color. Mineral/metal finishes and layered colored glazes add depth. Some examples of softly reflective metals are mica, copper, pewter, bronze and, of course, antiqued silver and gold.
Walking into Room (View from another room)
Look at walls as planes of color, and see how they interact when viewing one next to the other in adjacent rooms. You’re in one room, but you’re going to see a piece of another room through it. So as you’re choosing colors, consider how they will flow from room to room to create the perfect picture.
Follow the Color Wheel
A color wheel is a great tool for changing and intensifying two or more colors. E.g., red and green, which are complementary (opposite) colors, are most intense when used together. You will be surprised at how many combinations function very well together, and you may even become decide on an entirely new color palettes. The color wheel also illustrates the visual temperature of a color. Draw a line from the yellow-green mark on the color wheel all the way down to the red-violet; you’ll see that all the colors on the left are warm and the colors on the right are cool.
Play Up Monochromatic Schemes
Think one color is boring? Create bold or subtle variations within one color group with contrasting paint finishes. For example, use closely related colors, or try a single color in different finishes, for walls and trim in one space.
For an accent color, select a warmer (more toward reds) or cooler (more toward blues) color to complement your main color group. For a quieter ambience, make sure your colors are not extremely bright. White or an off-white tint can be a striking accent when used as trim with a monochromatic color group.
Paint Finishes
A single color used on walls and trim takes on new significance when applied in different finishes. For example, wall and trim colors can remain the same hue, but use an eggshell (matte and less reflective) finish on walls and a satin or semi gloss on trim. The color will appear slightly different on each surface. It’s a good way to create a cohesive look in rooms with many windows and doors, and relatively little wall area.
We wish you all happy decorating, and a fantastic 2017 from all of us at Maispa.