By Robin Smith
Thinking about changing up the colors in your home is one thing, but choosing a can of paint and rolling on that first swath of color across the wall is another matter entirely. When it comes to home improvement, painting can be one of the least expensive ways to update your space yet can create the biggest impact. How often can you completely change the vibe of your living room for under $100? But if it’s been awhile since you’ve made any big changes to your home’s color palette, how do you know if the hues you’re choosing for your living space are in line with current trends?
The power of color
The color of a room can change your mood, your stress level, or completely alter your experience. When choosing paint colors, you want to answer one key question: “How do I want to feel when I’m in this space?” If you want to convey a feeling of calm, cheerfulness, comfort, or drama, color is a powerful element that can make it happen. Certain paint colors also seem to have magical powers when it comes to the size of a room. If you don’t have the time or money to move walls and open up a room, a change in color can make a small room seem more spacious, or a large room feel cozier. Paint colors, as well as décor choices, all play into the mood you want to set for each room.
Color forecasters
So what colors will be popular this year? There are key folks whose job it is to measure the current national mood and then make predictions on what they believe will be popular color choices. They take inspiration from the fashion, automotive, and housewares industries and visit showrooms, trade shows, and scour magazines for trends. Using all of that information, they’re able to translate it into what colors we’ll be wearing and decorating with in the coming year.
Dark as night
Many paint manufacturers have taken a bold step in declaring their 2018 colors of the year – “bold” being the key word here. Several have announced a version of black as their number one standout. They may have undertones of blue or purple, but these “it” colors definitely say we’re ready to embrace darker shades.
Pratt & Lambert, one of the paint lines we carry, proudly unveiled Shadow of Night as its color of the year. This elegant midnight blue offers a calming effect that so many people are seeking in their hectic lives and in their homes. Other makers have also chosen very bold and deep tones this year. While grays and earth tones are still major players, 2018 is bringing in plenty of richness into your home, too. The possibilities are endless when it comes to choosing paint colors, but watching the trends is never a bad idea. And with the right help from our paint team, you’ll create a look and feel that you can’t wait to come home to.
Online tools
If you feel overwhelmed at the thought of searching for just the right color, help is at hand. It’s never been easier to create a cohesive color palette for your home by going online. For example, Sherwin-Williams, the maker of our Best Look® line of paints, allows you to experiment with colors in a virtual settings to see what goes with your tastes, or perhaps create a new style. Then, visit your local Do it Best store to build your confidence in choosing the right color every time.
(This article is for informational purposes only. Electric Consumer and Do it Best assume no liability for the accuracy or completeness of its content, or for injuries, property damage, or the outcome of any project.)
Robin Smith is a manager at Petersburg Do it Best® Hardware in Petersburg. Her family is a member-owner of Do it Best Corp., a Fort Wayne-based cooperative of thousands of hardware stores, home centers and lumberyards in the United States and around the world.
