Repainting Your Living Room

You can refresh the look and make a statement when you approach this task mindfully. Take time to consider everything that will make this important room stand out. Some questions to think about are, how do you use the room? What mood do you want to set? How do you want people to feel while in the room? Are there features in the room that need to be considered when choosing paint colors?

Thinking about these questions will help you in making the decision about what colors you may want to paint your living room. The natural lighting in the room will have an impact on the color you choose. You may want to coordinate the wall color with the colors in your furniture. Certain features of the room may also influence your decisions. For example, a fireplace or crown molding may be a motivating force for choosing certain colors. Looking at all the considerations will help you make a perfect choice.

Setting the Mood

How you use your living room will help determine the mood you want to set. Is this a room that sees mainly formal gatherings or is it basically your family room? Colors you choose help influence the mood of the inhabitants of the room.

Blues are calming and relaxing. They can create a very serene atmosphere. At the same time, they are cool colors and may not be the best for a room with northern natural light. Blues can make a room feel chilly or cold; however, if you get them in the warmer hues, you can maintain that peaceful feeling without the cold.

Your living room will seem spacious if you use white or off-white paint. White elicits feelings of cleanliness and purity. It is a very neutral color and blends well with all other colors. If you choose a different color for your walls, you may want to consider painting the ceiling white to give it a sense of loftiness. A white ceiling creates the illusion that the room is bigger with a high ceiling.

Green promotes a sense of outdoors. It is also easy on the eyes and reduces anxiety. Symbolically, green represents prosperity. A green living room can be a place where people can get clarity and feel restored.

For a feeling of luxury, you may want to consider a shade of purple. This color has historically been associated with royalty. It sparks creativity and evokes a sense of the mysteriousness.

Warmer colors, such as reds and oranges, bring about feelings of energy and enthusiasm. If you use your living room as a place to relax and wind down, these hues may not be the best choice. On the other hand, they also promote socializing. Just be aware that red in particular is associated with rage so don’t be surprised if conversations get a little heated from time to time.

Using color to set the mood in your living room is only one part of the whole picture. You also may want to consider the furniture you have in the room if it is or is not going to be changed.

Coordinating Colors

Furniture that is going to remain in the room can also supply you with ideas for paint colors. If possible, get a swatch of the fabrics in the room and bring them with you when you go to choose paint colors. If a swatch is out of the question, try to get a large enough picture with true-to-life colors.

You don’t need to match the colors exactly. You have options. If you want to match colors, that’s fine. Keep in mind that you can also use coordinating colors or even contrasting colors if they work well together. You may want to pick up subtle hues from the swatch and use that as your wall color.

Other Considerations

Light is a big consideration when choosing colors for any room but especially for the living room. The natural light source may help in your decision about color. You may want to warm up northern exposures by choosing colors on the warm end of the color spectrum. By the same token, if you have southern exposure and the room tends to get too warm, you can tone down the heat with cooler colors.

The light is going to change throughout the day. This will affect how the paint looks at any given time. The best way to see how the changing light is going to work with your color is to do a test run. Get an 8 oz. container of the paint and paint a section of the wall. If you aren’t feeling that brave, take a poster board and paint that and tape it to the wall. Use painter’s tape so it will come off easily.

You can always ask for help too. At Arizona Painting Company we have professionals who can help you make the right decision for repainting your living room. We will paint the room for you if you would rather spend your time elsewhere. Contact us for all your painting needs.