Let’s face it…picking the RIGHT paint color is hard…really hard. Choosing a great paint color for my walls has probably been one of the most difficult parts of decorating my home. Taping a paint chip of color to your wall is not a very effective way of determining your final outcome. The amount of natural and artificial light in your room can also greatly affect the overall look of the final outcome too.
I have been able to get to the point where I am pretty confident in picking up color tones in paint that I like but it has come with a lot of trial and error. Which means a lot of extra work and money when you get a paint up on the wall that you don’t love. Have you been there? I know I have!
Now, when I am looking for a new paint color for a room, I try to get an overall picture of what I would like the final outcome to be. Or an overall feeling. Do I want the room to be warm and cozy? or light, clean and fresh feeling? Do I want to go with a traditional feel or with a more modern feel? What colors are you attracted to? How do certain colors make you feel?
There is an entire science behind colors and their effects on our feelings and moods. So it is important to take all of these things into consideration.
One of the things I like to do is to find an object of inspiration. When I was looking for a color for our Master Bedroom recently I knew I wanted to go with a grey color. But there are so many different types of greys…beige tone greys, blue toned greys , etc. I had a grey Chevron pillow that I loved the tone of. So I used that pillow to find a paint color that had the same tones. I LOVE the final color we settled on. Which made me happy since nothing is worse than getting the entire room painted only to discover that you aren’t loving it.
Another piece of inspiration I used was this picture. When we first purchased our existing home, there was one item I knew I had to have in my kitchen. My husband gave it to me for Mother’s Day which is the weekend we moved into our home. I used some of the warm yellow tones in the background of the picture to pick the final kitchen paint color, and designed the rest of the kitchen around it. I still love the color to this day. It is so cheerful and happy for me.
Well, today I am excited to introduce you to a great new tool to help you pick the perfect color of paint for your next home DIY project…
This new and innovative site is designed to inspire readers with tips and tricks to decorating with color and help to inspire us all to live a colorful life!
My Colortopia has a team of experts that can give advice about finding your perfect colors, creating a mood for your room, learning paint techniques, adapting design trends and more.
My Colortopia has also created an amazing tool called My Life, My Colors in which you are asked several questions to help determine what colors suit you and your personality best.
I have added the My Colortopia widget here so that you can take the My Life, My Colors quiz and get you on your way to picking the perfect color for you and your home.
Be sure to stop on over to the My Colortopia site and see all the other great features and advice they have to offer you as well.
* I have partnered with Glidden/Akzo Nobel Paints to participate in the My Colortopia program. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
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emily sigler says
what is the name/brand of the gray color in your master bedroom? it’s lovely!
Stephanie says
What a great site! Thanks for the info Amy, and your home is beautiful!
Becky says
What a great idea. That takes all of the guess work out of it. LOVE it!
becca dulgarian says
I am horrible at picking paint! Like I suck at it! So glad to have read this post! It’s going to help me fix this flaw in my creative life! Thanks!
jen @ tatertots and jello says
How fun!! I am excited to check that out. I love paint!!!
xoxox
Jen
Beckie says
That is a cool little tool. So it asked how would you friends describe you. What would you say? ;-)
Barbara says
Yeah, I’m pretty much NOT able to pick paint AT ALL . . . so, I find a name that sounds good, like NICE White, and go with it. This will likely be VERY helpful to me – thanks for sharing.
BTW – you have an amazing site; what a treat to stop by and see what you’re creating and inspiring!
Christmas Cheers,
Barbara
kiki comin says
oooh, i have some projects coming up that this will be perfect for! can’t wait to try it out.:)
Jamielyn@iheartnaptime says
How fun!! This will be perfect for my upcoming bathroom makeover. Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a Happy Christmas! xo
Mique says
I have the hardest time finding the right paint color. I had navajo white walls in our house when we moved in for over 3 years because I was too afraid to commit. (lame!) I need to use that tool- awesome!
Char says
I think YELLOW is the very worst color to try to pick. BC came home one day to find the living room painted a shade we affectionately referred to as “Giant Stick of Butter” until we painted over it…the next week.
I tend to stick to blues and greens…those feel safer. ;)
Michelle says
What a cool idea. I am in the midst of choosing paint for my laundry room so these are good tips! i love your blue and grey!
Bri says
I have the exact same yellow and white quilt in my master bedroom and am looking for a good gray color for my walls. What color did you use??