How to Pick Interior Paint Colors

Let's be honest! Painting can be overwhelming! Especially for first time painters or professionals trying to design the perfect room. The thousands of paints on the market can make it extremely difficult to narrow down your choices and find exactly what you need to achieve your painting goals.

Here are the top three things you should consider when picking out interior paint.

Oil vs latex based

The based of your paint makes a big difference! Oil paint is perfect for revamping your home. It gives a very smooth and clean finish to add an extra wow factor to any room. It is extremely durable and hard enough to endure everyday wear and tear without leaving a mark. Oil based paint takes a long time to dry and often needs minor touch ups.Be cautious of the paint cracking and fading over time and its level of difficulty to clean.

Latex paint is more practical in that is dries quicker, but is not as durable as an oil based paint. It is easier to maintain because it does not require a paint thinner to keep clean and may be cleaned with a wet paper towel. A latex paint is often used in everyday rooms because of its ability to always look new and it's eco-friendly formula.

Finish

            Interior paint comes in flat, eggshell, and gloss finishes. The type of finish you will want to use depends on your vision for the room.

• A flat finish is preferred for walls with imperfections because it disguises visible bumps or cracks in the wall by soaking up the light. Unfortunately a flat finish is rather difficult to maintain, so it would not be ideal for a room such as a playroom that might have high traffic.

• An eggshell finish is realistic for most types of room. It it easy to wipe down and is durable enough for high traffic areas. This finish is long lasting, but might dull overtime.

• A gloss finish is the easiest finish to clean and the most durable; however, because of its level of shine any imperfections will become very noticeable. This finish is hard and extra shiny to add some glow to any kitchen, bathroom, or furniture.

Color

Forget the paint swatches! The color that comes off the paintbrush and the color pictured on the swatch are completely different. Don’t be scared to test a color by painting a large portion of the wall so that you can get a realistic picture of what the room would actually look like. Testing your paint on the wall will allow you to see how the paint color corresponds to the interior design, changes with the lighting of the room, and help you to feel confident in your decision.