How to Pick the Best Interior Paint for your Home
The Great Debate — Interior paint Color Choices
As I begin to create the vision for my new home, I’m constantly coming up against two solid choices for each room or material I’m choosing. And of course, it is always the question of whether I want to go for more of a statement or lean more classic.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been a lover of neutrals. The most color you would see in my wardrobe is typically some form of tans, terracotta blush, or hunter green. I’ve never been one for a bold pop of color. (Although I do love when they are used right!) Instead, I’ve always preferred organic tones of white, black, tans, and sometimes, greens and blues.
Well, for whatever reason, I am fighting myself on whether I want to go towards my “statement” choice of color (aka deep blues or greens), or if I stay safe and stick with my favorite, an off-white. I prefer to bring in color through the use of plants, furniture, textiles, and everything in between - it feels less permanent. However, when planning out cabinets and paint colors, I have a more difficult time deciding whether I want to aggressively go towards a trend I’m loving or if I play it safe. What would you do?
BReaking down my Paint Selections
No matter what I choose, I want to share…
What colors I’m loving right now
Which rooms I plan on painting what
What type of finish I choose when painting rooms and why
Photo By: Stoffer Home
Paint Colors I’m Loving
There are some GORGEOUS color hues circulating my iPhone screenshots, Instagram saves and coffee table books. I’m currently obsessed with the moody greens and blues that keep popping up, as well as some of the “fun twists” of whites that help pull together a balanced space.
I’m sharing a few of my favorites that I’m most likely going to find a home for in my new digs. Here are some of my top contenders, but I’m still on the hunt for a couple more!
Green Black - Sherwin Williams
Creamy White - Benjamin Moore
Jasper - Sherwin Williams
Pure White - Sherwin Williams
Teak Cups - Magnolia
Alabaster White - Sherwin Williams
Thunderous - Sherwin Williams
Designed By: Amber Interiors
Paint Colors by Room
The great debate continues when it comes to not only deciding what colors I like best for painting, but then narrowing down the flow of color. I know a lot of people make it easy on themselves by just choosing 1-2 colors for the majority of their home, but I tend to never make things too easy on myself ;)
Instead, I’ve been working on choosing my favorite colors first, and then assigning them rooms throughout my new Tangletown 2-story. It’s almost been like a game of musical chairs. The great thing is, no matter where I land with them, I know I will love them because the colors are that good!
Sunroom - Green Black
Living Room + entry + stairway - Alabaster
Dining Room - Jasper
Kitchen Cabinets - Creamy White
Kitchen Walls - Pure White
Thunderous - Downstairs Bathroom
Teak Cups - Upstairs Bathroom
Designed By: Studio McGee
interior Paint Finishes
Now for the final touches, the paint finish. If you’re like me and you walk into a paint store, and they ask you what type of paint of paint and finish you want, a lot of times I just give them a blank stare. Until I started painting my home regularly, I didn’t know that there were certain types of paint that would show scratches more or be easier to wash. I never took the time to read up on all of the different selection options and what would be best based on the room type and style I was going for. So, to help you out, I’ve pulled together a quick recap of the different paint finish options that exist, and hinting at a few of my personal favorites.
Flat/Matte - Flat paints, also known as matte, have the least amount of shine or gloss to them. They provide the best coverage and require fewer coats of paint to cover imperfections such as nail holes. However, because they are easily damaged by cleaners and more, they’re best to be used in low-traffic areas, like dining rooms, sun rooms and ceilings.
Eggshell - This finish is has a bit more sheen than flat paints, and still cover imperfections. Eggshell is also more durable than flat finishes. Eggshell is a great paint choice for low to medium traffic rooms such as: living rooms, hallways, and entryways.
Satin - Satin finishes are the most common interior paint finish because it has a minimal sheen to it and is easier to clean than both Eggshell and Flat paint. This type of paint makes for a great contender for high-traffic areas like kitchens, family rooms, and bathrooms. However, I would be aware that as the sheen increases based on your paint selections, so do the brush stroke touch ups to ensure optimal coverage.
Gloss - Semi-gloss and high-gloss paints are the shiniest and most reflective paint finishes. They’re extremely durable, mildew-resistant, and washable. Any rooms that your family is going to spend the most time in, high traffic wear and tear and/or moisture rooms could benefit from a semi or high-gloss paint. Examples would include kitchen cabinets, doors, trim and bathrooms. One thing to note with gloss sheens though is that they show the most imperfections of the group, so beware if you’re a perfectionist.
One final note
Be sure to test swatches before painting an entire room and do it on every wall of the room first. This is super important because depending on what color of flooring you have, which direction the room faces, and what time of day it is, colors can vary quite a bit. Save yourself the time of repainting entire rooms by testing things in advance!
Cheers!
Jen
