Owens Corning

Paint Predictions for Walls

Before painting a room you might like to know what's "hot" and what's not. I once painted my dining room bright red because it was fashionable. The following year all the magazines said white was in and a clean, fresh look was more desirable. Suddenly my red room looked like last week's dead flowers. Fashionable colors are born in the clothing industry, then emerge in interior home decoration, after which they show up on automobiles and finally become popular shades for house paints. The process takes approximately two to four years.

What Color To Choose Now?
If you want to know what color to paint your living room, look through your closet to see what colors you were wearing two years ago.

What Color Next Year?
If you think you'll be repainting a room two to four years from now, just check the current fashion catalogs to make a calculated guess about the color of the future. You might not be so inclined to choose red now if you know that yellow will be the color most likely to show up the next time around.

Choosing Color For Where You Live
The experts recommend that you choose a shade of paint that's compatible with the local environment. For example, if you live in Florida use a bright pastel color . If you live in New England don't. If you live in the Northeast, try shades of gray. Beige and green, barn red, Williamsburg blue and off-white are also preferred.

Colors For Any Room, Anywhere
The softened, earthy desert colors of the Southwest - adobe, clay, beige, can be adapted to different parts of the country and different environments. A coral color for example, can be softened by adding just a drop of the color to a base white to give the room a slight glow without being too shocking. In sunny environments the colors need to be more intense.

Contrast For Color Adds Punch
Since paint has to cover a large surface, you might consider adding a second color for greater visual interest. The trim around windows, doors and wainscoting can be painted with a slightly darker shade than the walls. Highlight decorative or unusual architectural details with a third color to add "punch" and draw attention to them.

Quality Counts
Regardless of the colors you select, buy a top quality acrylic latex paint, be it flat, satin, semigloss or gloss. High quality paints last much longer than ordinary paints.

Copyright Leslie Linsley, author.
Reprinted with permission, HouseNet, Inc.

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