One of the most exciting moments as a new homeowner is when you start to add your own personal touches to your place. For many, this includes repainting some of the interior rooms. This is a very popular choice as painting the inside is typically a moderately priced home project.

Today’s homeowner has more choices when it comes to both colors and shades than ever before. When it comes to selecting interior painting color, this can be great but also in some ways a bit intimidating. It used to be that most families had a few classic paint colors they considered. But now just about any one you can imagine could be beautiful – it also could be one that you regret.

Don’t neglect the opportunity to test the color. Of any interior painting tips we could give you, we hope you listen to this one! It’s easy to fall in love with a paint chip you clutch in your hand in the home improvement store. But sometimes it looks a bit different as an interior paint color when it is all over the walls of your living room and den. Here are a few simple tips to make choosing that color a lot easier:

• Take home at least 3 colors to try before you make your final decision.
• Choose the mini samples (most home improvement stores have them). For a few dollars or no charge (some stores give them for free) you can see what the colors will look like.
• Purchase 3 large pieces of white foam core or poster board at your office supply store and paint them with the sample paint.
• Hang them up, be sure to let the paint be seen in daylight and artificial light.
• Let every family member have their say about the paint color. It may surprise you what their perspective is, and this will give you ideas about selecting the best one.
• As tempted as you are to paint that room ASAP – do not rush to paint the room simply to get it over with! Take the time to choose the right color!

People think picking out colors are tricky, it actually isn’t. We’re going to give you a few simple tips. If you choose lighter colors like Ballet Pink or Lavender or Buff, these are likely going to make a room seem larger. When you select darker colors, this is a sophisticated choice but often makes a room more well defined – and if the room is smaller, it is going to feel small. Some colors may be wonderfully vivid as accent colors for trim but might be too much for an entire room – especially if you are painting a child’s room and you want the paint color to be soothing so they go to sleep. You can read here about some of the classical beliefs about the emotions linked to color, not everyone believes in this but some consider these important when choosing a paint color: https://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours

When you do find the right paint, it is your choice to hire a professional or do DIY. A professional will likely know interior painting tips that most of us simply can’t even think of. But if you have several adults who have some experience with painting and are willing to help, then you may be able to do a simple painting job yourselves.

Remember that paint drips & gravity works. This sounds simple but so many painting projects have gone awry when people have forgotten these little facts! Before you start or prepare a room to be painted by professionals, think about what in the room could get wet paint on it. Taking the time to do this could save you money in replacing items such as throw pillows, curtains, stuffed animals or rugs. It also could save you time from trying to remove paint from a wood floor or cabinet. Even if you hire a pro painter, always be sure to protect the room as you will want to point things out to them and this is good preparation to do so.

The good news every homeowner will want to hear: that interior painting color can last a long time. A very long time actually, up to about 10 years if you take good care of it. But of course you will likely be tempted to repaint during that time, simply because you’d like to refresh the look of the room with a new color. No worries, you’ve now learned all of our helpful painting tips to get you started!