Selecting the perfect paint color for your home

Now that you've finally moved into your new home, it's time to start decorating.

After running to the hardware store to get the tools you need to repair issues identified by the home inspection, you can start thinking about the materials you require to make your property beautiful. Before hanging photos and displaying artwork, adding a fresh coat of paint can provide a groundwork for each room's personality.

When you get to the home improvement store, you'll be faced with a number of brands and an uncountable amount of color samples. With the option of cerulean, royal blue, powder blue, navy blue and the oddly named variations on these choices, it can be difficult to determine whether bold indigo or classy cobalt is the shade you want. Here are some tips for narrowing down your selection:

Consider the whole room

When selecting paint colors, you're not just thinking about the walls. You're envisioning how the room will come together with the paint as a backdrop for everything contained therein.

Take some time to plan, factoring in the furniture, finishes and space. If you're attempting to make a small room with a lot of furniture appear larger, opt for a lighter, neutral color. When sifting through more muted hues, don't forget to think about how they will look when paired with your chairs, tables and sofas as well as the floors. All of the colors should complement each other.

Save the paint selection process for last when designing the interior of your home, as it can be easier to find colors that match your belongings rather than belongings that match your paint.

Let the color wheel be your guide

At the start of our educational journey, we get a lesson about the color wheel and complementary colors. Keep this information in mind when deciding which colors pair well if you're planning on putting various hues together. As a reminder, red goes with green, orange fits with blue and yellow pairs with purple.

Take color samples home

Lighting is a big part of how paint colors appear in your house, so test the color options you're considering in your home. There's nothing wrong with grabbing a few samples if you would rather see the paint on the wall instead of holding a small color card to it.