Looking For The Right Paint?

A good project for a do it yourselfer is painting. No, not painting in the style of Rembrandt or Picasso. Those are what you would call ‘Painting’ with a capital P. The painting here means the painting of your home so you can not only add color but protection from wear and tear as well.

Having a colorful home is much soothing than having one that is drab and gray. That’s why people paint their homes. It is both a way to express themselves and at the same time give the home a touch of personality. Simply put, color makes the house a home and one that is definitely unique as compared to other homes even if they are similarly built.

Choosing a color can be time consuming. After all, there are a lot of colors to choose from. Also, paints do vary so knowing what to choose can depend on a lot of factors.

Let’s start with the paint. There are typically two kinds – latex and oil based paints. Latex is pretty commonly used. It’s a tough and durable kind of paint that also easy to clean as well as being fade resistant. Oil based paint on the other hand do a better job in priming wood as it tends to seal them a whole lot better than latex.

When it comes to sheen you have three options. There’s gloss, semi-gloss and flat types of paint. Gloss paints tend to be easier to clean. That’s why a lot of people use this in high traffic areas where dirt and stains can easily get onto the paint. With gloss paint you can easily clean these areas with a damp sponge.

Semi-gloss is a lower level of gloss paint. It still gives a level of slipperiness that makes dirt and grime easier to clean off. It is not as shiny as gloss finish paints and they are also a little bit cheaper than them as well.

Flat paints are good for surfaces that have a lot of imperfections. The paint can easily cover it up even with just one coat. However, unlike the gloss and semi-gloss types of paint, flat paint is not as resistant to dirt and can also take a beating when it is being cleaned. That’s why this type of paint is used in areas where there is little to no traffic at all.

When choosing the color of the paint, don’t pick the color first and expect the rest of the room to match it. It is harder to match fabrics to the wall color so that it enhances the whole room.

Professional home designers recommend selecting the color of the pain after you have planned what to put in the room. This means choosing the color based on the theme of the furniture and stuff. This way, you can choose the right color that will support and enhance the overall look of the room. This is easier to do and will make the room that much better looking.

Of course, don’t just pick a color with just that room in mind. You have to remember that the room will be connected to the rest of the home. That means that when you pick the color you also need to make sure that it not only matches the theme of the room, it also has to match and transition to the themes of the other rooms and the home as a whole.