Did you know there is a whole psychology of colour and how it can impact your mood? For example, green gives feelings of restfulness and contentment, while red is intense and signals excitement. But do you know how to channel this when choosing paint for your home?
As well as the emotional connections, there are also many practical factors to consider. Read on as we give our essential guide on choosing paint.
Exterior or Interior Paint?
The first decision is if you are painting the outside or inside of your house. These tasks require very different kinds of paint. The outside of the home has increased exposure to the elements and needs more hard weathering paint.
VOC Levels
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are the scent that occurs when painting your home. They can be very harmful. Different paints have various levels of VOC in them.
Low VOC paints have 50 grams per litre or less of these. You can expect less of a smell in this case. You can even get paints with no VOC chemicals at all.
Primer
Primer is a coat of white applied underneath your chosen paint. It helps give a more even coat and prevents the need for multiple coats of your main paint. It is recommended that you use a primer for most applications.
When choosing the right paint, the cheaper it is, the lower the quality it will be. This may mean it is not as thick and shows up as patchy on walls. You may even be able to get paints that have a primer included within them, meaning you will only need to do one coat.
Are You Following a Trend?
When picking the right paint, most people’s first port of call is the internet. It can be very tempting to check out the latest design styles and colour trends, and there is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from them. However, trends change quickly, and by following them, you could be left with something that quickly looks outdated.
Instead, look for colours you like. Even if they are bright and bold, you can still find ways to incorporate them without them dominating a room.
Take Inspiration From Fabric
If you already have furniture you love, then it should help decide the colours you choose for the walls inside. These items should be the focal point, not the wall colour itself. Opt for something that complements them and adds a theme to the room.
Connect Throughout
Ideally, you should connect your colours throughout the home. You don’t want a totally different scheme in each room, or the whole place will feel disjointed. This does not mean every room has to be the same, but a universal, thematic colour approach should be included.
For example, are you are going stark white with splashes of colour? or are you going to opt for neutral, soft tones throughout?
Choosing Paint
The final rule when choosing paint is to test and test again! You can get small samples that should be viewed on your wall and in the light of your home. By using this with the other rules above, you are sure to find the perfect scheme.
Mas Paints has a huge range of products, as well as design ideas for your home. Click here to speak with our team and let us help decorate your home starting today.