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Bold interior colors demand thoughtful approach

Bold interior colors demand thoughtful approach

You may be overwhelmed by the wall of paint chips available at your favorite home improvement store, but there are some simple ways you can narrow color choices for a successful interior painting project. This is especially true when working with more daring colors.

Design experts employ different methods for arriving at a color scheme, but as a homeowner, you have the advantage of knowing just how a room is going to be used: what takes place there, the furniture in the space, any architectural features (arches, nichos, etc.) and what the lighting is like.

Most likely, you’ll start with a color you really like – oftentimes, this is your favorite color. If you tend to like bold color, it could be taken from a decorative pillow (a mole fabric), a piece of art (a Frida Kahlo print), a vase or a flower arrangement (think cactuses with bright blooms).

If you are a true do-it-yourselfer, you may have already torn out magazine photos of color schemes that appeal to you or collected small bits of boldly colored fabrics. This kind of scrap booking also can help you narrow choices, say interior design experts at Behr, a paint manufacturer. If you have time, they recommend collecting items for several months, saving the items in bags filed in a three-ring binder for handy reference. Closer to the project, take time to sort these items into what please you visually, paying attention to the subtle differences and harmonies that look good to you.

Next, you’ll need to take a sample of this color to your home improvement center. If you are going for bold, check out pre-coordinated schemes with labels such as "ethnic," "global," or "tropical."

You will also want to take into account the stain or fabric color of your furniture.

When working with bolder color schemes, experts advise buying a small sample container to paint on a wall section of your room. According to Sherwin Williams Paints, living with the new color will give your family time to get comfortable with the new scheme, as well as thinking of other ways to use it throughout your home.