SPRING…a time for many new things: signs of warmer weather, springtime flowers starting to poke through the soil, buds forming on the trees.  We also look for ways to freshen up areas around our home.

A fresh coat of paint is an easy way to liven or freshen up a room.  First, of course, you will need to decide:  do you want to stay with the same color or try something different?  A subdued color or a bold color?  Be adventurous and paint an accent color on one wall?  Do you plan to change anything else in the room?  Furniture?  Window treatments? Throw pillows?

There are so many choices to choose from when it comes to paint color, not mention the different brands on the shelves. It can be overwhelming!  Are you looking for a warm tone (more yellow undertones) or a cool tone (more blue undertones)?  Each one gives the room a different feel and look.  To help with your color selection, find a color in your window coverings or throw pillows that you are drawn to.  Use that color as a starting point.

My friend decided to finally make the move to paint one of her walls in the living room an accent color; “red” in a cooler tone.  The color choice became easy when she paid closer attention to the various colors in her throw pillows.  After two coats of paint, she called me and said the walls were still blotchy and she wondered why.  We talked about a couple “next step” options.  She elected to go ahead with the third coat and is happy with her color choice.

Here are some tips I’ve learned along the way about painting a wall with an accent color:
1. Make sure that the color represents your personality, and your family’s  personality.
2. Often times when a color is over powering, but you love the color, try toning it with a warmer Hue.
3. Not sure, purchase a sample of the color and put it on a small part of the wall so you can get a feeling about it.  Or call interiors by Berni to bring another perspective on the color choice.

If you are looking to put your home on the market soon, you may be wondering if you need to paint that accent wall a different color.  I say it depends on the room.  Often time,s we can simply present the room by the placement of furniture and arranging other items in the room. Painting an accent color may be a viable option. We need to look at the overall home when selling and make the best decisions, to maximize price and shorten the amount of time the home is on the market.

Berni Halaas
Going above and beyond to make your DREAMS come true.