Hands down, the easiest and most affordable way to completely transform the look and feel of your home is with a can of paint. It is the one DIY project that you absolutely CAN (and should) do yourself! If you lack the confidence or skills to prep your area, pick your paint, and tackle your project, then you’ve come to the right place!
Today I have Betsy from Happily Ever After, Etc. with us to share a few of her painting tips. Have you ever wondered what kind of paint is best for your project, or where to start with prep work? Have you wondered if you need to prime first? Perhaps you have asked whether or not you should use latex or oil based paint? Betsy–self-proclaimed Paint Lady–is your girl for all of the answers to these questions and much more! She has recently launched an ebook called Inside the Paint Can which is an excellent beginner’s guide on all things paint. Today Betsy is sharing some tips on how to find inspiration for choosing the perfect paint color and a little more about her new ebook. Welcome Betsy!
Finding Inspiration for the PERFECT Paint Color
I’m Betsy from Happily Ever After, Etc. and I can’t believe that I’m here to chat with all of you on Home Stories A to Z! I met Beth a little while ago at Haven and she is just the sweetest–of course I’ve followed her blog for years so it was such a fun moment for me! I was ecstatic when she invited me over to talk to y’all about paint, something near and dear to my heart.
On my blog you’ll find a little home décor, a little DIY, and a whole lot of paint! I’ve been painting everything I can get my hands on since I was a little girl, but it wasn’t until later in life that I learned how to paint walls. (Being an army brat they really discouraged that kind of thing on base!)
Once I started painting I realized that walls are like pringles–you can’t paint just one! 😉 I learned everything I could about painting the inside of your home, and then I started working at the local paint store. Now I spend my days mixing paint and answering questions, and I’m here to share a little bit of my expertise with you!
Tip 1: Design first and paint second.
When you’re trying to decide on a wall color I have one very important tip for you: Design your room first and then pick your paint! It is very easy to match a color to go with a gorgeous pair of curtains or bedspread. On the other hand, it is ridiculously difficult to find a bedspread to match the color you’ve already put on your walls, plus it’s very limiting.
Imagine you’ve already painted your walls a gorgeous light blue/gray (maybe Honest Blue by Sherwin Williams), but then you find the rug of your dreams (on clearance) in teal. What do you do? Skip buying the rug because it clashes with the wall, or re-paint the entire space?
I’m not saying to completely finish the entire room before painting because that would be a pain in the rear, but find your big inspirational pieces first. Maybe work up a mood board with potential rugs, couches, dressers, curtains and then pick your paint color from your favorite pieces.
Tip 2: Use Pinterest to learn what you love and to find color inspiration.
Finding your inspiration is a job for Pinterest! If you’re an avid pinner, then you probably already have boards filled with gorgeous living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. If you’ve never used Pinterest before, now is the time to go and take a look around.
Let’s say we’re painting the living room. Go ahead and take a few minutes to pin your favorite living rooms! Don’t worry about paint colors or accent pieces or even budget, just pin what you like.
Once you have a decent amount of pins queued up (at least 25) take a look at what each of your pins have in common. Do they have neutral walls? Are you drawn to bold accent chairs? Do you like soft colors or intricate details like a painted ceiling?
Take note of each little key point. Noticing what you love will help you when putting your room together!
Now once you have an overall feeling of what you like, it’s time to pick actual pieces. I like to start with textiles.
Tip 3: Find paint color inspiration from textiles.
Beautiful textiles are my absolute favorite items to find color inspiration! Whether it’s an amazing rug or pair of curtains, look to your textiles for inspiration into your color palette. Keeping your key points in mind, start looking at the key pieces in your room.
If you’ve fallen in love with a vibrant rug in varying hues and colors then perhaps going with a neutral wall color would be perfect. A neutral backdrop will really let your vibrant rug shine! On the other hand, if you find yourself leaning towards neutral décor pieces (such as a solid gray couch and a textured rug
with little color) then perhaps a bold accent wall will liven up the space. Keeping the key pieces of your room in mind when picking a paint color will help your room to feel cohesive when you’re finished.
There’s nothing worse than painting your entire space a neutral beige only to discover that your entire room is beige and you absolutely hate having so much of one color! Making a game plan before you paint will ensure that you love your paint color for years to come! Of course now that we’ve picked our color we’ll have to move on to the hard part…painting!
Tip 4: Learn insider tips from a paint expert.
After so many years of being the paint lady I’ve learned a thing or two about paint and am confident that I can help you with your questions. Instead of keeping this knowledge all to myself, I’m sharing it with you in a little eBook called Inside the Paint Can: Beginner Tips and Tricks for Interior Painting!
Painting your home can be a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re ready to make painting a little less confusing, then I know you’ll love all 10 chapters of this book. It’s jam packed with the answers to all kinds of fun painting questions!
Thank you so much to Beth for having me today and thank YOU for reading! I’d love to have you over for a visit at Happily Ever After, Etc. I hope to see you there!
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