Few things are as personal as the way that we decorate our home and decorating with specific color schemes is among the best ways to reflect your personality and style in a given room. The problem is that many homeowners don't know where to begin when it comes to choosing the perfect color palette. It can be especially difficult if you are renovating every aspect of the house, which can often mean re-doing floors, trim, walls and ceilings.
So how do you choose the colors that are right for your home?
According to David Bromstad, the host of Color Splash on HGTV, making smart color choices at the start of the process can save you from a number of headaches later on.
"Opting for black in high traffic areas – like the molding or flooring – will actually show more scuffing."
In a recent Q&A for HGTV, Bromstad answered some viewers burning questions about the best practices for creating the ideal home environment with color. Here are a few of his key takeaways:
How much is too much?: When you find a color that you really love, finding just the right spot to incorporate it into your home can be a challenge, especially if you have that feeling of wanting to put it everywhere.
Bromstad says, "If you love a bright color on all your walls and don't think you'll get sick of it anytime soon, go for it. Just keep your furniture neutral— think natural woods with crisp white or rich cream upholstery. That will help the blue feel like a backdrop rather than competition for your eye. My other trick is to use even more saturated colors as accents. Fuchsia pillows, tangerine bowls, and a neon yellow vase or two will make an otherwise potentially crazy shade seem toned down in comparison."
Molding: While most historic or traditional homes feature white molding, more modern homes have begun adopting new colors that add a personal flair to their interior. In many cases, these colors are still light in tone, but some homeowners have toyed with the idea of painting their molding, baseboards and trim black in the hopes of camouflaging dirt and grime. Instead, Bromstad says that opting for black in high traffic areas — like the molding or flooring — will actually show more scuffing, footprints, pawprints, etc. than lighter colors.
Open Floor Plan: In 2014, the popularity of the open floor plan has changed the layout of homes for many people. As residents try to learn to decorate these spaces, they have been struggling with one key area: the wall color. It may sound straightforward, but rather than breaking up the room with different colors, Bromstad recommends painting all the walls one neutral color and then bringing in pops of accent tones through area rugs, upholstered furniture, art and accessories to distinguish each room from one another.
One of the best ways to incorporate color into any space is by hanging curtains and drapes. With custom window treatments, you can include the perfect color, shape and length into each room of your home, helping you to define everything from how lit (or not) a room is to atmosphere it sets. To learn more about how Metropolitan Window Fashions can help, contact us today for a free at-home consultation!