In honor of Sherwin-William’s National Painting Week, interior designer John Gidding has shared his top five tips for painting your home, from the front door to your kitchen
A fresh coat of paint can give your home a whole new look, without breaking your budget. It’s no wonder that more than half of homeowners plan to take on a painting project in the next six months, and millennials are the most enthusiastic generation about their painting goals.
How should you choose a new color for a home’s exterior?
"Identify the architectural style as best as you can and look up precedent color schemes for similar homes to familiarize yourself with what colors work well with your home type before choosing a color. Darker colors are usually more successful on smaller facades, with larger homes benefiting from lighter colors. Also make sure to take stock of the other homes on your street and try to maintain the general color scheme and feel of the neighborhood.”
What are the best colors for painting a front door?
"Jewel tones and berry colors are my go-to for front doors - any rich color that would look good on a gemstone will look great as a door. Blacks are also a great choice especially for more classical homes.”
What colors are good for living rooms?
"Living rooms are extremely versatile and are a great opportunity to express your personality. I typically choose lighter shades with plenty of grey to serve as a neutral backdrop, but some of the most successful high-design living rooms bring in saturated colors in a matte sheen to create a statement. Wallpapers are also great in living rooms and there are many new products out there with easy-to-install removable wallpapers.”
“For your interior, refresh your trim paint, and don't be afraid to change it up, from light to dark. One of my favorite makeovers involved going gunmetal grey on all the trim and interior doors. For your exterior, make sure you have a path to the front door, some great house numbers (no stickers!), a mailbox thats installed properly and looks new, and lighting (solar lights work great!)”
"My go-to kitchen color is a very pale blue - it is a great backdrop for the colors with which I usually stage kitchens, like citrus tones. Tradewind (SW 6218) from Sherwin-Williams is a favorite.”