Summer into fall is one of the most popular times to paint your home. The hottest color story continues to be the use of saturated colors-colors that can range from light to dark, but have a lot of pigment and have a dense and mellow feel.

No frothy pastels, brights, or hard edges; they are complex colors with depth and nuance. Benjamin Moore Affinity and Historical Colors as well as the spare, but well-edited Farrow and Ball palette are great examples.

Those who will be making choices, but with an eye toward getting their house ready to go on the market might feel some apprehension, but warm neutrals have universal appeal.

1. Color sellls!  The tan/khaki/muted greens/soft golds are very livable, and read well in listing photos. They are warm and sophisticated, and appeal to men and women alike, and will snag the buyer’s attention as they click their way thru all the online listings.

2. White walls do not make your space look bigger. Instead,  they make it look cold and uninviting. Under even the very best of circumstances, the nuances of Linen White or Cameo White do not come across in pictures, either in print or online; instead it reads as old and dirty.

3. Color on the walls actually can make big furniture appear smaller. When we see furniture against white walls, it looks enormous, because of the contrast.  Because the eye registers less contrast when there is color on the walls, the furniture seems to recede into the walls, and it’s a smoother look.

4. Keeping doors/ceilings/trim work in a white, with color on the wall, you will now see the architectural details.   

White on white,  this was one big vanilla space. On the left is a condo that is just starting to be painted, on the right, about 4 hours later.

In the photo on the  right, you now can see the beveling detail on the doors, the crown and baseboard moldings.  Using different but complimentary colors, we have slso created separate spaces. 

 

5. Color on the walls bring the eye up,  and adds stature to a room. It  commands your attention, and your respect-you can’t not look at it.

And yes, these really are the same room.