Choosing Paint Colors for white walls!!!

Tugger1965

My entire townhome is painted 'construction white' and I am trying to add some color to it.
Went to Lowes and was suggested to use a 'flat enamel' paint but now I am struggling with colors.
Have a lining room with a neutral, tan color carpet and microfiber furniture that is green (not very dark, but not lime or bright).
Kitchen has oak cabinets with white appliances.
Master bedroom has darker wood furniture.
The 2nd bedroom (my sons) I have decided to do in navy blue and grey...

Would like to add some rich colors but not sure if that would work. Don't think that light or pastel colors would fit my personality...

Looking for some suggestions!

Workaholic

Colors are a personal choice, if I was consulting with you over your project I could offer suggestions but that is all they would be. I can say I recommend an eggshell in the bathrooms and kitchens, if you have a lot of traffic or children I would not hesitate to recommend an eggshell finish throughout.

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Sean

HomesteadHero

I agree with the Eggshell. Personally, I like the satin finishes. Here's what I look for when choosing colors--

Does the room have a lot of light? Or is it a dark space you're trying to lighten up? The sheen of the paint will reflect light, so if it's a dark space with a window, think about doing a glossier sheen on the ceiling which will bounce the light back down. Or if you want to avoid glare, then the opposite holds true.

Do you have any pictures?

Millertyme

i would not use a flat enamel if i were you. Flat paint is usually tough to clean. I would use a satin latex. Typically enamel is usually used on woodwork, doors and trim. Latex is easier to use as it is water based. Enamel is usually alkyd based but there are some new waterbourne enamels out there.

As far as colors go, i personlly like to go with the earth tone colors. Maybe a slightly lighter color than your carpet and a drastically darker color on one of the opposite walls always looks good to me.

DannyT

what color is your furnishings and decorations? Just remember that anything with a sheen will show all the defects in the walls and ceilings.

Brushjockey

be careful with some of these sheen definitions. one company's satin is almost flat, another's is almost semi gloss.
My favorite wall paint, BTW, is BM's matte regal or aura. like a low eggshell.
Satin Aura is my woodwork paint- like i said, almost a semi G.

jsheridan

Flat enamel is a nice product, which I've used quite a lot over the years. It's basically a washable flat. It has a very soft low sheen, which is lower than BM Matte. It's a good choice for those who like as flat as possible, but still need some ability to wipe it down. OP, do some research on color, color schemes, and some basics on how colors work together. Take your time. Paint stores have palette samples, where groups of colors that work together are combined on one chart. Ask them for any educational matter they have on color. They're out there, just ask. You want to be sure that colors flow throughout the house, so it's not a collection of individual rooms with different unrelated colors. If this is not your thing, or you don't have time, hire a color consultant. For a reasonable fee, they'll spend a couple of hours with you and save you from all the research. Asking for help with color on a forum is only going to produce a littany of colors that will most likely be of little help to you, especially if you're not real familiar with color. Once you understand color schemes, it can be as simple as plugging colors into a formula and picking those you like and work with decor. Good Luck.

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sdsester

Play with one of the virtual painting programs offered by the majors for free. Sherwin Williams and Ben Moore both have good ones. You can pick a pre-masked room that looks similar to yours or upload your own digital images and mask them. Then have it at with the entire color collections. Both offer color scheme help too. As you explore, the software will display the current color chip number or name you are using. When you have what you think you like you can go to the store and get large swatches or sample bottles to try out.

Do set your monitor to 6500K, the industry standard for working with color, first so you are on the same page to start.

jarheadoo7

if you purchase a 75 dollar gift card to SW they send out an interior designer for free..