Finally -- A Simple Formula To Help You Choose the Right Paint Color

Do you struggle when you have to pick a paint color?

Are you confused about what colors work best for your home on the market?

You Can Relax. Some experts have come to your rescue.

About a year ago, HGTV approached the Sherwin Williams Company with the proposal that together they develop a series of color palettes that would take the guesswork out of paint color selection.

The designers that work behind the scenes at HGTV brainstormed with the trained color consultants at Sherwin Williams, and together they came up with eight custom color collections, which they introduced this summer.

Colors and More Colors! You'll find a tantalizing assortment of 20 colors in each collection and  -- here's the the best part -- every color in every palette works beautifully with every other color in that palette. The hard work is already done for you.

Just pick the group that coordinates with the elements of your home you're not changing (counters, flooring, tile, for example) and your color selection dilemma is history! Your home will look like you hired a decorator to specify colors, and your rooms will flow, whether you paint all your rooms the same color or make each room a different color from your collection.

Whether you are painting your front door, refreshing old furniture, re-doing your kitchen cabinets or painting walls, color coordinating your scheme from room to room, gives a house an edge with buyers. The right colors make a house look pulled together.   

You can also use your handy dandy, big color chips as a shopping guide when you're hunting down decor accessories for your staged rooms. Wondering how that duvet cover in the store will look with your new wall color? Simply pull out your chip collection and see if the duvet color is part of your personal palette.

What's Right for Staging. Of the eight color collections, I would recommend only three that are suitable for home staging: Neutral Nuance, Livable Luxe (my favorite), and Traditional Twist. The remaining five -- Coastal Cool, Rustic Refined, Global Spice, Urban Organic, and Color Pizazz -- are too in-your-face for a home on the market.

To view the color palettes that will deliver the look you want for your house prepping, as well as the five that are more bold, visit the Sherwin Williams website.
 

These colors can be mixed in any finish -- flat, satin, or semigloss. They can be mixed for you in exterior grades as well as interior.

You Can Fine Tune. Maybe you like one of the colors in your palette, but you think it's too light or too dark. No problem, because you'll be able to match the color chip to a color strip, like the example to the left. That way, you can see exactly what you'll get if you go darker or lighter with the same color.

Sherwin Williams people can even send you home with a quart of your favorites for just $5 each.

Many DIY painters don't realize that every brand of paint has levels of quality. The Sherwin Williams paints, like other brands, range from so-called contractor grades, to high performance paints that always get rave reviews for low odor, spreadability, coverage, and durability.

You Choose the Grade. The HGTV Home line is sold off the shelf as a mid range product, the 200 line of paint. This means that you may need to paint two coats in some cases, for good coverage.

However, it's easy and economical to upgrade slightly and get that one coat coverage everyone wants. I've used plenty of 200 level paint. It's good, but I usually plan on two coats for guaranteed coverage. It all depends on the color you are painting, and what you are covering. Always let the paint store people know what your project is, and they will know if it's going to save you time to upgrade to a higher quality, like their Duration or Cashmere line.

Don't bother with Sherwin Williams 400 or 700 lines unless you're whitewashing a shed's interior. Even then...

Some people staging their homes just want to freshen the walls, and some people insist on a professionally perfect application. You'll know your own style.

But wait. There's more! Since this home decor promotion was developed for especially homeowners and DIY folks, Sherwin Williams and HGTV are introducing an entire collection of user-friendly tools to make your painting project go quickly and easily, and give you professional results.

Don't you love a color-coordinated retail display? These two home improvement giants are calling their specially selected brushes, rollers, tape, and dropcloths "smart tools."

Adam Burns, the manager of my local Sherwin Williams, is a wealth of information. He filled me in on all the background information I needed to write this post. Although I've painted professionally for 20 years, I'm still learning from Adam. He's the son of a painter, grew up painting, and has been trained by his company in all the latest products. He opened and then ran the Sherwin Williams store in Kauai for 5 years. Kauai! 

The gloves are made of neoprene and have padded fingertips. I can vouch for the fact that they are comfortable for hours on end and wear forever.

The brush handles are coated with a lacquer finish to make them easy to clean.

The rollers are made from woven nylon fibers that won't shed, so your painted surface will be smooth and free from junky bits of roller fuzz, like they would if you used a dollar store roller.

The dropcloth is like nothing I have seen before, but if I were going to design a dropcloth that really works and is convenient to use, this would be it. It's padded to make it comfortable on your feet and knees. It's made of woven fibers that absorb drips so you don't track paint around the room. It measures a tidy 7 x 2 feet, just right for protecting the area where you are working, without the hassle of a cumbersome, room-sized painters tarp.  

Just So You Know. No one paid me or provided any compensation for telling you about these new color collections. I am very excited about this joint venture because Sherwin Williams has always been my choice for paints, supplies, and painting advice. HGTV, not so much.

When you want advice about staging your home to sell your home, download my eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar.