Want a home with spaces that flow? Are you looking to improve your mood and maybe even boost your health? Want your decor to feel more cohesive? Then, you need to choose paint colors for your apartment and determine your home color scheme!
Selecting a color palette for your whole home will create a more harmonious flow between the rooms with decor that feels coordinated.
This is the best decorating solution for a chaotic feeling space that incorporates multiple styles, mismatched furnishings or an overload of color.
Before choosing your color scheme, check your lease or ask your landlord about any restrictions on painting your apartment. If painting isn't allowed, you may use temporary wall coverings or a variety of pictures to add color to your walls. With a little creativity, there are all kinds of ways to add color without the commitment of painting.
To start, pick four to six colors that you'll use throughout your entire apartment in the decor and furnishings and on the walls (if you can paint). Choose one or two saturated colors, one subdued version of these colors, one or two neutrals and a white. If you love color, it can be hard to limit yourself but remember your ultimate goal — a home with flowing spaces and cohesive decor.
As you choose your palette, consider color theory and how you want your space to feel. Calm and spa-like? Try a monochromatic or an analogous color scheme in cool colors. Bold and modern? Experiment with complementary or monochromatic palettes. Romantic and vintage? Opt for a triad scheme with warm accents.
Also consider different inspirations, such as a designer whose work you admire, a specific fabric or work of art. Be sure you pick colors you love and that coordinate with elements in your home that you can't easily change, like carpet or kitchen countertops.
Once you narrow your colors and have a general palette worked out, head to your local paint center, even if you can't or don't want to paint. Start pulling the colors that you've decided on using for your home color scheme and simply play with them.
Make different combinations. Try going up or down a shade. Take the paint chips home, and look at them with your current decor and furnishings. This will help you decide on specific colors to use for your saturated and harmonious colors, as well as your neutral(s) and white.
Now for the really fun part — implementing your home color scheme! It can feel a bit daunting at first but try these six tips to achieve your color dreams.
Walk around and ask yourself what you already own that will work well with the new scheme? What doesn't work? Start a running wish list of décor and furniture you want to add to your home that matches the new colors.
Take those paint chips you selected from your earlier trip and glue them on a piece of paper. In the margins, make notes about where and how you want to use these colors. Take your reference guide with you when you go shopping. This way your color scheme is at your fingertips when making decisions about your home decor.
Solidify your color scheme and decorating ideas with a design board or collage. If you prefer digital, get on Pinterest! Create a whole board devoted to this color scheme and items from your wish list.
Buying new home decor accessories will probably be one of the easiest and cheapest ways to implement your new home color scheme, especially if you're not ready to paint or remodel. New accessories in the colors you want to use will act like bright color accents in the room and draw your eye, so try adding some throw pillows or a new piece of art. You might even repurpose old items to give your apartment a new look.
To really have an impact, make 2 or 3 big changes. Depending on your budget and whether you own or rent, you could paint the walls, re-upholster or even paint furniture, change the flooring or add new curtains. Rugs and curtains anchor and frame the room, so these can be dramatic ways to implement your home color scheme without remodeling.
Still having trouble deciding on a color scheme? If you like to keep up with the latest trends, you can always choose the color of the year. Here are 10 Ways to Decorate with Classic Blue: Pantone's 2020 Color of the Year.
Once you have the go-ahead from your landlord, choosing paint colors for your apartment — and getting it painted — can help you appreciate your space all over again.
Rachel Cooper is a freelance writer and author with more than a decade of online journalism and content creation experience. She has written for About.com, Washingtonian, Federal City Council, Montgomery Parks, Destination Maryland, Conde Nast Traveler, Payscale, Valpak, Grandparents.com, Washington Parent and more. Her books include Quiet Water: Mid-Atlantic, AMC’s Canoe and Kayak Guide to the Best Ponds, Lakes and Easy Rivers; 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Washington, D.C. and Images of Rail: Union Station in Washington, D.C.