how do i add color to a room?

When painting a room, many homeowners are seeking to add sophistication and visual interest by using more than one wall color. The difficulty they often face is that they don't know where to split the colors for a clean, sharp look. There are a variety of ways to achieve this, and the key is to either use a natural break that already exists, such as a corner, or to introduce a break with mouldings or tape.

Using Natural Breaks

One common method of bringing a second prominent color or shade into a room is to create an accent wall. This wall could be painted a different shade of the dominant wall color, or it could be a coordinating color. What this does is create a focal point, so it is a good idea to choose a wall that already has some kind of special feature. Examples of this could be a wall with a fireplace or mantle, an oddly-shaped wall (such as one that rises to a peak). You can also choose your accent wall based on the furniture; the wall behind the headboard of a bed or behind a large mirror are popular choices.

Some painting professionals and decorators recommend painting a room in parallel, where a room is painted in two colors on alternating surfaces. In a typical four-walled room, this would mean that each wall is the same color as the one opposite from it. Again, this can be done in a subtle manner, using two shades of the same color, or with coordinating colors for more of a contrast. This design creates a sense of movement, and is often used in smaller rooms such as a bedroom or bathroom.

A third design idea that is currently quite in vogue is to paint the ceiling something other than white. There are three basic options for color choices on your ceiling:

1. Paint the ceiling a lighter shade of the wall color. This creates a feeling of additional height in a room, and it ties the space together nicely. One problem with this is that if your ceilings are all different from one room to another, it creates a disjointed effect as you walk through the house.
2. Paint the ceiling a darker shade of the wall color. This is often done in exceptionally tall rooms, since it visually lowers the ceiling. This technique can have the same problem as the previous one in terms of unity within the house.
3. Paint the ceiling a different, coordinating color. This makes the ceiling a focal point, drawing the eye upwards dramatically.

One caution with ceiling paint is that it can draw attention to any flaws in the surface. Using a flat paint can help reduce this effect.

Another potential pitfall of painting a ceiling, especially in older homes, is that it emphasizes the lines and corners, which might not be square, plumb or level. One way to mask this is to bring your ceiling color down onto the wall. Use a level to create an artificial line around the top of the room and paint from there up.

Call Manor Works Painting today at 866-255-2288 to learn more about how to create an elegant room with multiple colors. Or contact us online to schedule an estimate.

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