Interior: Colors | Sheen | ideas

Exterior

Interior:
Colors:
Walls: Tinted
  Tones of beige were the most common recommendation for a neutral color but as of 2015 you see more designers recommending gray hues.
  At MyDomaine.com they say, "Gray is one of the most versatile paint colors--perfect for moody rooms when you're looking to create ambiance, yet also the ideal pick for serene spaces to project a sense of calm."

See shades of Gray from Better Homes & Gardens, Jan 2017

Ceiling: Off-white

Trim: White is the most common.
  Sheri Thompson, director of color marketing and design for Sherwin-Williams, suggests painting molding or doorways just one step lighter or darker than the primary wall.

Trim and walls the same color.
Matching trim works for a room with heavy architectural details.
It also gives an illusion of higher walls.

How best to treat angled walls and sloped ceilings:
Even among designers and painters there seems to a difference of opinion.

  • Paint everything wall color except the flat (horizontal) ceiling
  • Paint the entire room the same color.
  • Embrace the angles and slopes and make it the focal point of the room by painting them the same color as the ceiling.. This is a good option, especially if you want to create a statement.
  • Do not paint ceiling and angled walls white and walls a dark color.

It's a good idea to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls to sell your house. The average price to paint interior walls is $500 to $750, but that increases a home price by an average of $1,500 to $2,000.
See: Painting Tip: Dealing With Angled Walls and Sloped Ceilings | Linda Holt Interiors

Tips at Interior Paint Colors That Help Sell Your Home | realestate.aol.com
"Beiges, warm beiges and yellows are great choices for wall color and making a space look more impersonal," says Maggie Hernandez, a seasoned home stager and realtor with RPI International, Inc. "

In the kitchen it's good to stay in the orange, red and yellow families. These work well because they're food related, but it's important to still make them soft, appealing and neutral.
In the bathroom paint must be light, because the room tends to be smaller, and a darker color would just make it more so.
In the bedroom it's also especially important to stay away from bright colors, since this room is viewed as a sanctuary, so choose something very neutral that will work with the flooring and also flow into the master bathroom.
The only spot where warmer, richer colors are welcomed is in the home office, where cinnamon, dark brown or even dark blue are welcome -- these colors make the space an area in which to work and relax.

When selecting colors from paint chips, pick your favorite, then choose one lighter and one darker as well. Colors look brighter on the walls than they do on a tiny chip.

Brightness - Hue:
At Light Vs. Dark Interior Paint Colors | Home Guides | SF Gate they say,
"Choose interior paint based on the mood you want to experience in a room -- and how well the light supports that illusion, but a chocolate powder room can be stunning, while a designer-white dining room can look dingy."
See dining rooms below.

"A room with few, no or small windows, architectural intrusions such as multiple arches, alcoves or low, beamed ceilings, and exterior light barriers, such as overhanging trees or wide porch eaves, receives little natural light. When a room is shadowed, light colors look dull and dingy. Skip the pastel or the white-on-white walls; instead, select rich jewel tones or mineral-dense colors."

A high-ceilinged room with a deep color on the ceiling directs the eye to the walls and furnishings, compressing the room closer to human scale and contributing to a sense of intimacy. A long hallway with lighter walls and a deep tone on the end wall feels more spacious.

The BEHR color: How to choose and coordinate brochure at Home Depot says,
"Blues, greens and violets are colors that have a tendency to feel like they are receding or backing away from you. They are often used to paint the walls of a small room to make the room apper larger."
"Reds, yellows and oranges are considered "warm" colors. THey are visually stimulating and may appear to advance toward you in a room. Because of this walls ad objects may appear closer than they really are. Red colors tend to energize a warm space. Yellow colors make rooms feel more cheerful."
Use dark wall colors when you want a room to look dramatic and grandiose."
"Light colors will help rooms feel more spcaious. Light colors, such as white, off-white and pastels withdraw the eye, making rooms appear larger, and ceilings higher. Light colors reflect the most light and can brighter dark rooms or a hallway.


Scheen: or Finish
General Rules - Any room:
Ceiling - Flat
Walls - Eggshell or Satin
Trim, moldings, doors - Semi-Gloss
Manufactures have different designations:
Benjamin Moore: Flat/Matte, Eggshell, Satin, Semi-gloss
Behr: Flat, Matte, Enamels:  Eggshell, Satin, Semi-Gloss, Hi-GLoss
Valspar: Flat, Satin and Eggshell, Semi-gloss, Gloss
Sherwin Williams: Flat/Matt, Satin, Semi-GLoss, Gloss
Specific guidelines by room:
Least Shinny:

Flat (Matte) - Concealing A low-sheen paint with a easy-clean, non-reflective appearance that's ideal for low traffic areas and ceilings.
- It doesn't clean well and isn't suited for kitchens, baths, or children's bedrooms.
- It does a great job of hiding imperfections which are on the wall prior to painting it as well as afterward.
· - Flat paint gives surfaces a smoother, more uniform appearance than what may actually exist.
· - Small scratches and nicks on a wall painted in flat paint are hardly noticeable because they blend in.

Flat Enamel has a low luster appearance and is great for low to moderate traffic areas, such as bedrooms.

Matte Eggshell - Easy Maintenance Has a soft, velvety appearance and is a good choice for moderate traffic areas such as living rooms.
It cleans up better than a flat finish, but probably not as well as you would want in a kitchen or bathroom.

Satin Enamel - Easy Maintenance The most popular paint sheen. If you desire a pearl-like appearance, and are painting moderate to high traffic areas or areas that have some exposure to moisture, such as kitchens.
This finish is a good choice for woodwork, walls, doors, and hallways. It's also great for bedrooms, Family Rooms and dining rooms.Satin is washable but it isn't scrubbable, so you probably don't want to use it around your toddler's craft table.

Semi-Gloss Enamel - Durability if you desire a sleek, radiant sheen that is great from cabinets and trim, high-traffic areas and high-moisture areas.
It's scrubbable and good for moldings, doors, windows, kitchens, and baths.

Hi-Gloss Enamel creates a brilliant, shiny appearance with a glass-like finish. This is great for high-use surfaces.
Stain resistant and very scrubbable, which makes it a good choice for the areas of a home that get the most wear and tear, such as kitchens and baths. Food splatter or even crayon marks will clean up easily on a high-gloss finish.

High gloss walls on a main living area will create reflected light all over the place, one is guaranteed a headache. It won't be a pleasant place to spend any time in. Sources:
How to Choose an Interior Paint Sheen | Behr Paint
How to Choose an Interior Paint Finish - For Dummies
Sherwin Williams - How to select your Paiant Sheen. | Video
How to select a sheen | BenjaminMoore.com
Choosing Paint Sheen. High Gloss Glamour - Upstater

Tints and Shades:
Tints are colors with white added.
Shades are colors with black added.


Recommendations:
In 2016 Zillow Digs did an analysis of 50,000 photos of recently sold homes.
See Homes with White Kitchens Sell for $1,400 Less than Homes with Yellow Kitchens - Jun 23, 2016
Room Type Color Color Description (what this color looks like in homes) Effect * Most Common Metro
Kitchen Yellow Creamy or wheat-colored yellow $1,360 Portland, OR
Kitchen White Off-white or eggshell -$82 Miami, FL
Bathroom Tan Oatmeal or beige $283 Sacramento, CA
Bathroom Brown Dark brown -$469 Phoenix, AZ
Bedroom Green Light green to khaki $1,332 Houston, TX
Bedroom Brown Dark brown -$236 Houston, TX
Dining Room Purple Mauve, eggplant or lavender $1,122 Dallas, TX
Dining Room Gray Slate or dark gray -$1,112 Washington, D.C.
Living Room Gray Dove or light gray $1,104 Dallas, TX
Living Room Orange Terracotta -$793 Baltimore, MD
* Effect - How much more or less the home sold for
How to Choose Paint for Your House | Zillow Digs

Selling your house? Be careful what colors you paint it - MarketWatch

And it’s not just the exterior curb appeal that counts. Some interior home colors can impact your sales price dramatically at close, according to Zillow.com The Seattle-based real estate site recently analyzed the color schemes in close to 50,000 homes sold over a 10-year period starting in 2006. After accounting for location, price, size and age of the home, Zillow determined that homes with yellow kitchens, often in hues of creamy or wheat yellow, yielded the highest sale premium ($1,360 above expected values for example in Portland, Ore.). Wall colors painted in other earthy tones like sage green or dove gray were also present in top-performing listings, Zillow said.

While dark colors never fare well on the interior come sale time, Zillow noted specifically that colors like slate gray or terra cotta sold for sometimes close to $1,100 less than expected. In addition, not having a color in the kitchen also had a negative impact on a home’s sale price. Homes with white or eggshell-colored kitchens also sold below expectations, the real estate research firm said.

"Warm neutrals like yellow or light gray are stylish and clean, signaling that the home is well cared for, or that previous owners had an eye for design that may translate to other areas within the house,” said Svenja Gudell, Zillow’s chief economist.

For example, homes in the Dallas area that had living rooms painted in dove gray sold for $1,100 more than their counterparts in other colors, Zillow said. And a bedroom in Houston, painted in pale green or khaki sold for $1,300 more than other schemes. By comparison, a deep brown colored bedroom in Houston knocked out that advantage and cost sellers $240 at close, a swing of more than $1,500 to the downside, Zillow said.

Keep in mind, too, the color schemes in your neighborhood both inside and out.

Never Paint Your Home These 4 Dreadful Colors | MONEY
When Zillow Digs analyzed photos of 50,000 recently sold homes, they found those with rooms painted in certain colors tended to command higher selling prices than expected. Homes with creamy yellow or wheat-colored kitchens, light green or khaki bedrooms, dove or light gray living rooms, and mauve or lavender dining rooms sold for $1,100 to $1,300 more than properties decorated with less popular colors.

Homes with creamy yellow or wheat-colored kitchens, light green or khaki bedrooms, dove or light gray living rooms, and mauve or lavender dining rooms sold for $1,100 to $1,300 more than properties decorated with less popular colors.


Room Recommendations:
Kelly-Moore Paint Ideas: Living Room , Dining Room, Kitchen, Bathroom , Bedroom

Dining Room:
Choosing Dining Room Colors Better Homes

 
Recommended by Warrenville Hardware
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak Muslin Simply White LRV1 68.8 66.9 90.9 RGB2 (222,218,207) (227,214,195) (247,247,237)
1. LRV = Light Reflective Value - Percent of light reflected from a surface (1-100)
  See LRV
2. RGB - Red Green Blue - Amount of each color. Values from 0-255.
  e.g. (255,0,0) = red; (255,255,255)= white; (255,255,0) Red + Green is Yellow; (127,127,127) is gray, (63,63,63) is light gray.
You will sometimes see it expressed as Hex or HTML codes with values from 00 to FF. FFFFFF is white. See Color Space in Technology/light

Benjamin Moore Rooms by Color and Best Selling Grays
The 9 Best Benjamin Moore Paint Colors - Grays (Including Undertones) - Kylie M Interiors

Recommended by my realtor sister-in-law, who says houses with rooms painted with this color always sold right away.
Kelly Moore

 
        Wise Owl              Swiss Coffee
RGB  (205,187,165)          (243,239,230)
LRV    abt. 55                abt 80
 
The 8 Best Neutral Paint Colors That'll Work In Any Home, No Matter The Style | HuffingtonPost.com
 Click color for equivalents. e.g. Benjamin Moore Storm [#a0a19f] is close to Behr Equinox [#9fa29d]
                 
 Benjamin Moore     Benjamin Moore    Sherwin Williams    Sherwin Williams     Valspar 
     Shale               Storm        Accessible Beige     Backdrop      Montpelier Ashlar Gray
196,190,178 51%      160,161,159 40%      209,201,184 58%      134,124,112        191,177,160

            
 Behr               Sherwin Williams   Benjamin Moore
 Light French gray    Caviar           Alexandria Beige
 196,202,201 57%       48, 46, 47        164,147,125
Interior Designers Share Their Favorite Wall Colors | Better Homes
    blue arrow         
Benjamin Moore        Valsapar         Sherwin Williams     Valspar        Farrow &Ball
Classic Gray         Blue Arrow         Sea Salt            Savory Beige    Gervase Yellow
228,225,216 66%      167, 176, 173     205,211,202 60%   226,219,203 70%    236,215,124

Gray is in:
Choosing Paint: How To Pick the Right Gray | Houzz.com Gray has certainly undergone a radical transformation in the past few years — in terms of how we view it, that is. No longer is gray only associated with dreary days, serious attire and a gloomy outlook. This quiet neutral has shaken off its bad rap. Gray has not only replaced beige as being the "It" neutral, but grays are now synonymous with style, sophistication and glamour.

Most Buyer-Friendly Colors to Paint Your House | Homes.com
In recent years, the color gray has become popular among home buyers looking for something more chic or sophisticated. Because gray is available in a wide array of hues, the layered effect of multiple grays can turn an otherwise bland room into a showstopper, simply by choosing the hues wisely.

When used properly, gray imparts a cool, sleek, and modern vibe to a room. But, if you’re going to use gray, try to decorate the room with supporting accents. For instance, modern furnishings and lighting may work better than more traditional versions.

Never Paint Your Home These 4 Dreadful Colors | MONEY
Gray is trendy color right now, but all grays aren’t created equal. While dove or light gray was a hit in living rooms, helping to boost a home’s selling price by $1,104, dark gray was a dud. Paint your home’s dining room a slate color and you could lose $1,112 when it comes time to sell.

Slate Gray was not as popular according to the zillo study.


Tips at How to Stage Your Home with Paint Colors | Benjamin Moore One home staging idea that can help expand your space visually: paint the moldings the same color as the wall, which gives an illusion of higher walls.

Web pages with Ideas

Quality Interior Paints, Colors & Ideas | Kelly-Moore Paints
Behr: Interior Paint Colors | Interior Paint Color Schemes | Inspirations | Behr
Secrets From A Color Expert: Paint-Picking Help - Forbes

Tom points out you probably want select a hue that goes with your exterior paint.

Recommended brands:
Behr (home depot) ($34-$43), Valspar (Lowes) ($29-$44), Clark + Kensington (Ace) ($32), Benjamin Moore ($54) Interior paint Recommendations | ConsumerReports.org


Exterior

The size of your home can influence whether light or dark colors are more appropriate. As a general rule, light colors will make your home appear larger and will be more affected by changing light conditions, while dark colors can make your home appear smaller and help it blend with its surroundings.
Source: Exterior Colors: How-to Choose Paint Colors for Your Home | Behr

Intro - CertainTeed Color Coach says,
A mix of dark and light colors can accentuate interesting architectural elements, while a mix of similar colors can tone down awkward areas. Architects and designers are increasingly making use of dark colors for exterior walls. Darker roof colors harmonize with deep blues, greens and browns for quiet drama that adds stability. A more neutral roof color allows a strong siding color to stand out and really showcase your home. Dark trim colors work well to frame a home, outlining architectural details, windows or doors. When you use dark trim, choose a roof color that matches or is a shade lighter than the trim to produce an anchored, coordinated appeal. The use of two or more exterior wall colors with varied trim colors is part of a trend seen around the country.

An exterior color scheme is typically made up of three elements.
1. Field or body - The large area such as the house walls.
2. Trim - Corner boards, window trim, fascias, etc.
3. Accents These include shutters, doors, and any other architectural features including, of course, decks.

The color wheel is used to determine which colors go together.
Two choices are:
Analogous or harmonious colors are those color which are adjacent on the color wheel.
Complementary colors - Opposite side of the wheel.

You may pick complementary colors for furnature
The 60-30-10 rule.
60% Dominant color.- Walls, large accent pieces like area rugs, and perhaps a sofa.
30% Secondary color - Supports the main color, but provides some contrast.
Furniture, curtains, area rugs, bedding or an accent wall.
10% Accent Color - Often, this is a bright color, but not always – you might use black as your accent, or a metallic, or dark brown in a neutral room, or even a pastel. As long as your accent both contrasts and complements the other two colors. You can also mix textures (e.g. metallics and wood)

Sometimes a triadic scheme is used with 3 colors equally spaced on the color wheel.

See
How to Use the 60-30-10 Rule | TheSpruce
The 60-30-10 Color Rule

Source: Selecting a Trim Color | Gossen
See also Light in technology
Architectural Style Color Charts
Color Scheme Building With a Color Wheel | ClassicShades.com

Suburban Traditional Palette By Sherwin-Williams - Color For Suburban Landscape.




Decks:
See above for deck colors that go with a particular house color.
Railings can be the same or contrasting color. A lot depends on the view beyond the deck.
Light colored posts blends in with water view, while dark color of railing posts blend in with a wooded area.

Decide how prominent you want your railing to be within that scenery. Do you want it to be a focal point or an inconspicuous piece of the puzzle?

Contrasting colors can be used to accent or draw attention to the railing. Making the railing a focal point. Similar colors can make the railing posts appear to blend in with the home.

At How to Choose a Deck Railing Color - MMC Railing they say,
  A railing in a natural color that blends in with its surroundings, perhaps in a soft brown shade, will create a more relaxed and natural look. A bright white railing, on the other hand, contrasting with wooden decking and a blue pool, may evoke a nautical experience.

Remember that lighting conditions will greatly affect the appearance of your railing's color. As you're examining swatches, try placing the swatch where the railing will be so that you can see how it changes throughout the day.

See also:
5 Considerations For Choosing Railing Color | Keuka Studios
Two Tone Decking Home Design Ideas, Pictures, Remodel and Decor


Other Links:
See Idea links above
Color-a-Room: Choosing Interior Paint Colors for Any Room! - Better Homes and Gardens
Does Paint Color Really Matter When Selling Your Home? - The Decorologist
10 Color Theory Basics Everyone Should Know - Freshome.com
These 6 Lessons in Color Will Change the Way You Decorate – One Kings Lane — Our Style Blog Patrick Mele makes bold colors popular. The 8 Best Neutral Paint Colors That'll Work In Any Home, No Matter The Style | HuffingtonPost.com
How to Choose Neutral Paint Colors + 12 Perfect Neutrals
Interior Designers Share Their Favorite Wall Colors | Better Homes
Top Designers Share Their Favorite Gray Paint Colors | MyDomaine
Inviting Living Room Paint Color Ideas | Kelly-Moore Paints
Best Selling Grays | Benjamin Moore
Window Treatments (blind color etc.)
Encycolorpedia - Search Hex Color Schemes, Charts, Palettes & Conversions
About Color in light in technology
Best Wall Colors for Stained Trim | Restyling Home by Kelly

Publications:
Consumer Reports How to Paint Practically Anything

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last updated 15 Nov 2015