color!

WHAT IS THE RIGHT CHOICE?

Let’s just paint the room,” you think. Seems like an easy fix, but there are so many color choices. There are probably 50 tones each of tan, beige, gray, “griege” and brown at the paint store. Where do you start?

First of all, think about your room. Do you want to relax and chill, or is it an active play area? Color will affect the mood.

What colors in your accessories currently stand out in the room? Is there a particular color you’d like to highlight for some pop? Neutral colored walls can be accented with color for that pop. For example, blue colors are a favorite for many people because of its subtle, soothing feeling. Bright blues are more electric and stimulating, while light blues feel pensive and thoughtful. Greens remind us of nature and help us to feel calm and connected. Reds and oranges are confident, warm and welcoming. Brown tones are solid, dependable colors because of their associations with the ground beneath us. Richer browns feel robust and inviting, while lighter neutral browns are wholesome and calming. Grays feel stylish but unobtrusive and can be used in various shades for a tonal look.

One of our favorite neutral colors from Sherwin Williams is Accessible Beige (SW7036). It’s a perfect combination of tan and gray, and leans toward the warmer tones. Another favorite is Knitting Needles (SW7672). This color is cooler and leans more toward the gray family.

Currently, there is a trend where many shades of neutral colors are used to create the soft, “tone-ontone” look. While watching trends is important, keep in mind that the environment in which you live should reflect you and not what’s currently the new look. You can elect to add just a touch of a new trending color to see if it works for your area and lifestyle.

Keep in mind that paint is not permanent and is relatively inexpensive. So, changing color in a room is an easy fix!

JULIE ERICKSON is a partner with designingwomen2, located at 3223 13th Avenue South Fargo. She has worked in the design industry for the last 25 years. Go to designingwomen2.com to see more projects created by the team. [ aw ]