How to Match Your Paint and Furniture

If you’ve ever spent hours staring at paint chips and trying to imagine how they’ll look on the walls of your home, you know how difficult finding the right colors can be. The best interior home colors aren’t necessarily what are in the latest magazines and websites, but rather what looks right with your furnishings. That Chinese red dining room might look wonderful online, but try it with your green Persian carpet and it’s back to the drawing board.

Choosing a Neutral

Neutrals are having a huge moment in interior design. Whites, creams, grays, browns, camels — they’re everywhere, they go with everything, and they’re gorgeous. Choosing a neutral is a lot harder than it looks, however. If you’ve already tried to find the perfect true gray paint, you know how challenging it can be to find a shade that doesn’t have undertones of another color such as green.

Invest in a fan deck from your favorite paint supplier before you begin. Your first step will be to determine whether you prefer warm tones such as beige and tan, or cool tones such as gray and pure white. Don’t buy gallons of paint before you test them on the wall. Buy a quart instead, and test a patch. You’ll be able to evaluate how it looks in different lights and with your trim, as well as your furniture.

Incorporating Bold Colors

There will always be a place for bold colors in home design. After all, is there anything more stunning than a navy blue lacquered wall with bright white trim and polished nickel or brass fixtures? Bold isn’t for the faint of heart, but when done properly, it can achieve an unforgettable look.

Again, testing is absolutely essential. Deep navy looks beautiful with bright white, paler blues and purple. Red paint complements richly hued furnishings, such as mahogany. Perhaps the most important tip for bold paint is to prep your walls carefully. It’s tempting to think that dark paint hides, but the opposite is true — dark paint magnifies prep mistakes. So does gloss, so test carefully and choose wisely.

Mixing Furnishings and Paint

Begin by matching the colors in your rug or floor to your proposed wall color. These elements will give your room the structure it needs. If you’re planning to paint each room a different color, coordinate carefully. If possible, choose one or two colors you plan to carry through each room. For example, you might decide that taupe and a creamy white are your colors. If you use the same tones throughout your home, you’ll amp up its look considerably and ensure everything is consistent.

If You Need Help

Feeling frustrated? Just Cabinets, Furniture & More can help. Our trained interior designers are available every day at no cost to you! Visit a showroom for more information.