Painting is a necessary part of keeping your home in tip top shape. The exterior wood trim of my home is painted every three years because that is my best defense against termite intrusion. The cost is less as well because my painter doesn’t have to spend so much time sanding and repairing the wood since the trim has been protected by a good coat of paint.
So now that we have established that paint is your friend, not your enemy, how do you tackle the hardest part….paint selection? My advice to anyone who is thinking of painting is to look at the many paint chips at Lowes or Home Depot first. You will be able to identify color families easily that way and avoid a poor choice. Once you have selected the color family you like, take a sheet of white paper, fold it up and cut a section of the folded corner off – leaving you with a square when you open the paper back up. Take the selected paint colors you think might work and slide the white paper over the color until the color appears in the center cut opening. This gives you a ‘true’ color that your eye can focus on. If you want to test my technique, try to isolate the color with just your eyes and then use the paper technique and assess which color is true and rich. When not putting the paper over the color, your eye will ‘meld’ the colors together. This could result in a poor choice.
Once you have decided on color family, then paint color, you should purchase a small can of that paint. Purchase a disposable brush and brush the paint in each room, on several walls. This will enable you to get a good view of all the shadows, day and night, and help you make the best choice. If you don’t like that paint, don’t worry, just go through the process again and select a new color!
Your rooms will look fantastic and you will love them!