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| Painting Can Work Wonders For Your Home |
| by Joanie Veitch |
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If you’re in the mood for a new look in your home but don’t want to do any major remodeling, interior painting might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Painting is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to give the inside of your house a quick makeover. The right color can make a small room seem larger or make a large, formal room feel warm and inviting. Perhaps more than any other design element, the color on the walls sets the tone for the room.
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| Painting Can Work Wonders For Your Home continued... |
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Before you begin painting your interior, it’s important to take the time to select the right paint for the job to be sure you are happy with the results.
For most homeowners, choosing the right paint color is the hardest — and often the most time-consuming — part of the process. There are hundreds of choices — even plain white comes in a seemingly infinite array of variations.
To be sure to pick a color that will match your furnishings, either take samples of fabric along with you to the paint store, or bring a lot of paint chips home. To get the true color of the paint, make sure to look at the paint chip in both outdoor lighting and the room it is destined for.
 If you are still feeling uncertain a great way to be absolutely sure is to buy a pint of paint and do a large square test patch at eye level. Make sure the test area is in a spot where you can get a good feel for the color and how it will work in the room. If there is another room nearby painted in another color, check to see how the two will play against each other.
Light colors or white will make a room appear larger. Dark colors can be very dramatic and create a feeling of intimacy. To brighten both the look and mood of a room, opt for sunny colors, such as red, orange or yellow. Choose restful, relaxing colors, such as blue, green or lilac for places such as the bathroom or bedroom.
If your furnishings are brightly colored, you may want to soften the effect by using a more subdued or neutral color. Although it can work, too much color is overwhelming.
A room’s orientation in the home should also have some bearing on the color. For a room on the northern side of the house use the warmer colors, such as yellow, orange, red or lime green. For a southern exposed room you can use cooler colors.
Color is only one part of the overall equation, however. The sheen of the paint is equally as important for a satisfying end result. Lower sheen paint — also called matte or flat paint — is great for hiding small imperfections but not so great for cleaning. For high use areas, such as the kitchen, bathroom, mudroom or children’s room, you’ll want to use a semi-gloss or high-gloss paint for its durability. Most people find a high-gloss paint works best for doors and cabinets.
 Before you make your purchase, take your room measurements so that you can figure out the correct amount of paint to buy. A good rule of thumb to use is a gallon for every 350 square feet. If the calculation is close, don’t scrimp on how much paint you buy as you’ll always need more for touch-ups.
If you’re looking for durability you’ll want to choose one of the better quality paints. Premium paint is more expensive for a reason – it goes on faster, looks great and lasts longer.
Before you begin to paint, make sure to do your prep work. Remove small furnishings and put the larger pieces in the middle of the room under a protective sheet. Clean the walls and repair any holes or cracks with spackle.
Although it may seem like a straightforward job, many homeowners opt to hire a painting contractor to make sure the painting is done right. It’s an awful lot easier than doing it yourself!
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