How To Create A Color Palette For The Entire Home
Creating the ideal color palette for your home is a fun, multi-step process that will build on itself over time.
In the first installment in this series on creating a color palette. We explore where to begin and how to draw inspiration for your home's paint colors, using one house as a case study.
IMAGINE THIS HOUSE
This is a somewhat modern home located in a coastal suburb. Exterior - The exterior paint is a medium greige with warm white trim and a delicious blue-green door.Ceilings - Inside, the ceilings are white, artificial light is adequate, and natural light is plentiful. The wood floors are rift white oak with a slight tawny tone, but mostly natural. The bathroom and kitchen floors are a neutral off-white 12”x24” tile, complementing the lighter tones of the wood floor.Tile - The tile has gray and tan specks, which is very consistent and with little movement so that overall the tile appears to be a warm off-white. The specs blend nicely with the different tones of the wood and make a seamless transition between the two floors. Cabinetry - The kitchen cabinetry is white and gray. Rich, warm gray quartz counters line the perimeter of the kitchen, laid over white cabinets. The island cabinetry is dark gray, with a soft gray counter with slight movement. In the rest of the house, there is dark gray cabinetry in the master bathroom and a softer gray in the guest and powder room. The hardware throughout is aged pewter and the light fixtures are darker, almost charcoal or black polished/aged metal.View - The views from this wonderful space are of rolling hills, a beautiful mesh of yellow-green and at least 10 other shades of green. The patio has soft gray hardscape, drought-tolerant plants, succulents, and flowering bushes, with an overall minimalist appeal.Homeowners - The homeowners are drawn towards an eclectic style with coastal modern touches. They desire comfort, breeziness, and casual elegance. They have school-aged children, no pets, and are a very active family, but when they are home they like to gather.
EXISTING COLOR PALETTE/TEXTURE STORY
CABINET COLORS
Sea Interior Design - Laguna Beach Dealer
COUNTERS
BATHROOM ACCENT TILES
Sea Interior Design - CA Dealer
Whoa! Are you exhausted from all of those details?Don’t worry, you don’t have to imagine the house perfectly. But this information gives us an informed starting point for selecting a paint color palette.
INSPIRATION FOR YOUR COLOR PALETTE
Oftentimes when working with clients on interiors, such as a kitchen or bath design, they ask us, “What do I choose first?” The answer is the same every time:[clickToTweet tweet="How to Create a Paint Color Palette for Your Whole Home. " quote="You start with one thing, something you love, something that makes you feel absolutely amazing."]If you have fallen in love with a cabinet color, a tile, the countertops, a sofa, use that as your jumping-off point. Build on that. Or say you have a rug that you not only love but that means a lot to you. Or a painting. These are great places to start building your color palette.In this scenario, our jumping-off points are client’s style, desires and the existing elements that are considered non-changeable.
THE POWER OF PAINT COLORS
Paint is probably the most dramatic and least expensive decor element that you can change to create a lot of bang and impact for your buck.[clickToTweet tweet="A room can look completely different just by changing the wall color." quote="A room can look completely different just by changing the wall color."]For your interiors, you can narrow it down to an overall neutral color and darker or lighter shades for different rooms (a trim color and an accent color).Remember, though, with the overall color, that lighting will affect that color in ways you cannot imagine. The same neutral soft tan color can look green, yellow, and totally different depending on the light. So always, always, always test the paint samples in all rooms and look at the changes in the colors in all different lights. Don’t be fooled by a paint chip; even a tinted white can look different from one room to another. Other colors in the room will also change how the wall color looks, based on the undertone of the color you select.These are some options for overall colors in our case study house:
If you are not keen on painting the trim a color, you can use the same color as the ceiling for the trim and perhaps make the interior doors an eggshell charcoal color. If you do decide to paint the doors a dark color, then reconsider the finish of the hardware I listed above.Now that we have our overall colors, we can start changing it up a bit in certain rooms to create depth and interest. There are no fast and hard rules except that you have to love it -- it needs to give you the feeling you are after, so when in doubt, wait.
[clickToTweet tweet="Live with sample colors for a few days, weeks if needed, or wait till you see a color that makes you smile." quote="Live with sample colors for a few days, weeks if needed, or wait till you see a color that makes you smile."]
TAKE A LOOK AT THE KITCHEN SLIDE AND STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT FEW ROOMS!
P.S. Remember, you don't have to navigate this process alone. At Sea Interior Design, we're passionate about curating a style unique to your home. So awaken your desires, visualize your perfect space, and allow us to make it a reality. CONTACT US TODAY to schedule a time to sit down together.
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Have you a color palette for your home?