How to Decide on Paint Color

Have you ever had a piece of furniture and you don’t know what color to plaint it? I’ve certainly been there. Sometimes the pressure feels too great to pick the perfect color for a piece you know will look so good once complete. With so many shades and so many types of paint it’s easy to get overwhelmed, shut down and just leave the piece sitting around collecting dust and taking up space in a random part of your home. I’m going to provide you with some tips to get inspired, relax and guide you to picking  the best color!

1. prep your piece for painting! I find the piece tells me what to do with it the more I handle it! So start my removing he hardware, sanding and cleaning your piece. This way you can get a feel for your furniture and maybe get the color intuitively! If not, your piece is ready to paint when you do find the perfect color.
2. Consider the season. I love summer, but it’s so hot and humid that I just really appreciate and love Fall! Right now I’m loving dark greens, mustard yellows and goth-chic black and grays! You can never go wrong with a season inspired neutral!
3. Check out Pinterest or Etsy. It’s helpful to pull inspiration from beautiful pictures! You can even search for pieces similar to yours. If you have a French provincial piece, search for others like it, this will inspire you as well as give you a great mental image.
4. Ask for suggestions from friends and family! I like to take a poll between colors I love and have my friends decide on Facebook or Instagram.
5. Take paint samples home and hold them up to your piece. This helps me get nail the right shade!
6. RELAX! You aren’t going to ruin a piece of you pick the wrong color. As long as you don’t damage the wood by altering the shape by over sanding or allowing it to be damaged by water, everything is fixable and reversible. 

I hope these tips have inspired you to just go for the color that pops into your head! Sometimes you know the minute you lay eyes on your piece, while sanding or a few days/ weeks after you purchase it. That’s ok! The most important thing is that you just go for it. Be sure to leave me a comment and share some of your tips for picking furniture or let me know if this has helped you!