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Learn how paint can dramatically enhance your decor and what colors and styles would work best for your home:
Charcoal gray walls set the stage complemented by pineapple yellow and soft white accessories, this living room space makes the perfect urban oasis. When choosing to work with a darker paint palette, try pairing them with brighter colors to create an edgy look that’s still inviting.
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The air we breathe indoors is three times more polluted than outdoor air, and considered to be among the top hazards to our health according to the EPA. The paints and finishes used in home interiors are among the leading causes to our unhealthy indoor air.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are toxic emissions that are released into indoor air through paints and finishes, sometimes for years after they were applied. The good news is that new environmental regulations, and consumer interest in green building, have led to the development of low-VOC and zero-VOC paints and finishes. Most of the paint manufacturers have stepped up to the task, and produce a variety of low- or zero-VOC paint. These new paints are durable, cost-effective and less harmful to the health of our family and our environment.
GRNY Renovation put together a few resources for your next indoor painting project. If you have any question just Ask the Pro:
Real Milk Paint Company makes an environmentally friendly paint that is suitable for decks, walls, and antique furniture. Milk paint comes in a bag, can be mixed with virtually any color pigment, and mixed with water. This company also offers milk paint thinner and a citrus solvent ( a natural alternative for traditional paint thinner and mineral spirits).
Benjamin Moore has a new line of zero-VOC premium interior paints called Natura, that are durable and fast-drying. These come in a variety of colors and are virtually odorless. Check out their website for more information on this green paint alternative.
Livos all-natural products include sealers, stains, finishes, and thinners for wood flooring, and other exterior and interior uses. Their wood stains come in a variety of decorative colors, and can be used on interior wood, OSB and MDF-boards, as well as on exterior wood surfaces. Also available is Kunos Natural Oil sealer, a natural polyurethane alternative that is perfect for preserving every high traffic indoor surface from countertops to floors.
GRNY Renovation created some links to all of these eco-friendly products below:
When it comes to decorating, choosing paint color can really be a challenge. While you may feel that there are so many choices you’re bound to find the right one, you may end up feeling that there are so many choices you don’t know where to start!
The tips here will really help you if you feel stumped by this important choice. After all, the paint color will set the tone for the room.
According to the experts at GRNY Renovation, there are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to selecting the right color for the right place.
Location matters when it comes to selecting paint color. Rooms facing south generally receive more natural light and are able to withstand deeper, more saturated tones. Use mid- to dark-toned colors. Prime the wall with KILZ® Premium (a general purpose, water-based primer) and then use a flat or satin paint so that the walls absorb color to give the room more depth.
On the other hand, a room on the north side of the house may cry out for lightness. Remember, color is a reflection of light. If you use white, you assume it will always look the same. But in a north-facing room with few lights, it will look grayish. We recommend adding cream to any white to warm the room.
Use light- to mid-tones in a north room and use satin or semi-gloss paint that will help reflect light around the room.
Sometimes it’s good to dramatize a north-facing room by accenting a focal window by painting the surrounding wall in a darker shade. If you have a window framed by a dark color, you’ll look through it. The color will draw your eye to the window. Choose a shade with a heavy pigment, but not overbearing.
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Defining living areas in today’s open floor plans can be quite a challenge. Do you paint each area a different color, or opt for one color fits all? The law is that everything has to have a link and a flow. There’s a main color and then lighter shades. There is what we call 60:30:10 rule. Use 60 percent of one color, 30 percent of another and 10 percent of an accent color.
We suggest choosing one color for the most public spaces and altering the shades in adjacent areas. Keep the hallways and stairs one shade. And only totally change color if you have good cut-off points like a soffit or a door between the living and dining rooms.
We also like to pick up the accent color (the 10 percent) and repeat it in an adjacent area. If the living room has an accent color and you can see the kitchen from there, you might paint the entire kitchen in that color.
Believe it or not, color can enhance the function of a room. Scientific research shows that a blind person entering a red room will feel warmer there than in a white room – even if it’s the same temperature. People can feel the color in a room. That one of the facts why many restaurants are painted in warm tones, such as spicy reds and toasty yellows. Red stimulates conversation and appetite. Blue in a dining room decreases the appetite. Now if you want to elevate concentration in an office or a corner where the kids do homework, then choose yellow.
Some experts recommend painting family rooms deep cozy shades, such as cocoa or loden green. Kitchens are perfect spots for yellows, reds and even some greens. Where there’s traffic, it’s always a good idea to keep it light and breezy. Another good tip we found over the year is to use the color of food in kitchens, such as butter yellow or deep merlot.
Since master baths are meant to be relaxing, private retreats, we suggests they should be painted cool, water-related colors such as blue, silver or green. However, opting for drama in a powder room can really make a bold statement. We recently painted a bath in chocolate brown and darkened the ceiling to a dark chocolate. With white fixtures, it was stunning!
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A ceiling is part of your horizon. We recommend painting it a lighter shade of the wall color rather than stark white, especially in the kitchen. It looks disconnected to have a strip of color above the cabinets and then a white ceiling. For a really high ceiling – where you feel lost in the room – we recommend using a color slightly darker than the wall color.
Stark white ceiling is a very strong statement. It may draw too much attention. So you have to have a reason to use it.
Ceiling color can make a room unique. I still remember one time long ago I saw painted a living room ceiling and one wall a chocolate color that nearly matched the carpeting, and then painted the other three walls cream. This created an illusion that the wall and ceiling were encasing you like a clamshell.
That’s a risky but very modern feel. Dare to be different whenever you can.
Just as you’d consider the color of carpet when choosing paint color, it’s important to think about hardwood flooring as well. You have to look at the root of the color. If you have a red wood, you have to match it. Most wood flooring has yellow tones, so we advise customers leaning toward warmer colors. For darker woods, such as dark cherry, cooler tones are the answer. There is also a bleached oak currently popular that has a lot of pink in it. When you put something yellow beside it, it clashes. Wood doesn’t always go with everything.
Low-sheen paint is another good idea in kitchens with cherry cabinets. You don’t want to compete with your beautiful cabinets. Choose a color that has the strength to stand up to that cherry – something with a boldness of its own.
If you have a hexagon-shaped dining room, consider yourself lucky. The architecture is playful, so you can be playful in color choices. Odd-shaped dining rooms are perfect for dramatic use of color. Wall color should help set off the colors of the food. A deep chocolate burgundy, golden honey yellow or dark burnt sienna, accented with cream woodwork and an off-white ceiling, can accentuate the unique room shape and make a statement to those entering.
Cristina Acosta – our interior designer – shares this tip for making a small space look larger – use different shades of the same color. For example, paint opposite walls a shade lighter or darker than the adjacent walls to give the room a sense of depth.
When painting over a dark wall, Acosta suggests tinting primer with a color a few shades lighter than your new topcoat color. This will help ensure a perfect finish and ultimately help you save money because you’ll need less topcoat to take your walls from one color to the next.
Color choice in hallways comes down to what feeling you want to create. A dark color will bring the walls closer but that may be what you are seeking, as if you’re emerging from a tunnel that opens to a large room. To create that feel, use a light color at the end.
More often, people want the space to look bigger, so a lighter color is preferred. We also suggest contrasting the lighter walls in the hall by using a mid to dark color at the end of the hallway and placing a piece of artwork there. That will draw you down the hallway to explore.
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Painted woodwork should coordinate with wall colors. If you use a fresh, clean blue on the walls, go with pure, white woodwork then. If you have a warm wall color, choose a warmer white. While it’s usually best to use the same trim color throughout the home for a coordinated look, there can be exceptions, such as in an upstairs living area. Kids like their own space that’s different from the rest of the home. It really depends on individual taste and the layout of the house.
Ornate molding or trim, such as a ceiling crown molding, may warrant a stark contrast color in order to draw attention to it. If you want a light room with a little drama then a darker trim can make that happen. We did a bath with light blue walls and charcoal trim. It was a great way to accent the walls.
Despite the vast variety of colors available, selecting the right paint color not necessarily need to be difficult and overwhelming. We advise buying small amounts of colors to “test” in various spots in the room. Paint chips are computer generated and not the color you look at. Apply paint in several areas where light varies, such as a corner by a window and across the room. You’ll see how different the color looks in different areas and in different times of the day. With a bit of trial and error with your samples, you’ll end up with the right color – and avoid having to repaint an entire room once you realize you can’t live with the new color.
Now that you’ve taken the time to choose the perfect color, why not take a little time to make sure it lasts? Prepping your walls is the single most important step before painting, but most do-it-yourselfers don’t prep their walls properly. Watch this video we found on YouTube and follow these simple, but essential steps for stripping, cleaning, patching and priming your interior walls.
Looking for a professional painter? Contact us for a FREE estimate. When you contract with GRNY Renovation you can be certain that your project will be handled with the highest levels of professionalism. We are dedicated to providing the most enjoyable and stress free home improvement experience possible. We are also dedicated to your satisfaction with every aspect of the project, from concept to completion.
Learn what type of paint to use, which tools will work best and the basics for picking color schemes.
By Sue McSullivan
All About Paint
Latex Paint: Often called “acrylic latex” because it contains a plastic resin made of acrylics or polyvinyls to help it adhere better (see Water-Based Paint).
Oil-Based Paint: Commonly used on molding, cabinets and furniture. It provides a protective coating and creates a smoother finish than water-based paint.
To tell whether your current wall color is water- or oil-based, douse a white cloth with rubbing alcohol and rub it on the wall (in an out-of-the-way spot). If the paint softens and begins to transfer onto the cloth, it is water based. If the alcohol does not remove any color, it is oil-based.
Primer: Used to seal bare surfaces and provide a base for paint to grab on to. If you’ve spackled your walls, priming is a must to prevent the spackle from bleeding through the paint. Use water-based primer on new drywall, previously painted walls (including those that have been patched, repaired or stained), galvanized metal and nonferrous metals. Use oil-based primer on severely stained or damaged walls, on paneling, under wallpaper, and on wrought iron, ferrous metal and raw wood.
Sheen: A paint’s sheen gives it a certain finish and quality. There are several options:
- Matte/Flat – Smooth finish, has little or no sheen. Helps hide surface imperfections but may suffer damage more easily than other finishes. Best for low-traffic areas.
- Eggshell – Velvety sheen, easy to clean. Great middle-of-the-road option between flat and high gloss. Gives a flatter look than glossy paint but still provides hard-wearing and protective coating.
- Satin – Silky, pearl-like finish, stain-resistant. Creates protective shell that resists moisture and mildew. Good for kitchens, bathrooms and high-traffic areas.
- Semigloss – Sleek, radiant and high resistance to moisture. Good for cabinets, doors and windows.
- High Gloss – Very durable and easy to clean. Its glass-like finish makes it good for trim and molding.
Water-Based Paint: (Latex paint is often called water-based) Commonly used on walls and ceilings, it is less toxic and easier to clean up than oil-based paints. Water-based paint comes in a variety of sheens including matte, eggshell or high-gloss (see above).
Water-based paint works well on surfaces previously painted with latex or flat oil-base paints. It usually doesn’t adhere well to high-gloss finishes, however, and cannot be used on bare steel because it will rust it. Water-based paint can be used on top of wallpaper, but there is a risk that the water in the paint may cause the paper to peel away from the wall.
Color Basics
Color Wheel: A pie-shaped diagram showing the range and relationship of colors.
Complementary Colors: Hues directly opposite each other on the color wheel. For example: green paired with red or orange paired with blue. As the strongest contrasts, complements tend to intensify each other.
Harmonious (Analogous) Colors: Three to six colors close together on the color wheel. The shared underlying color generally gives such color schemes a coherent, sophisticated look. Since little variety of color is used, interest has to come from texture, pattern, lighting and accessorizing.
Hue: Another term for specific points on the pure, clear range of the color wheel.
Primary Colors: Red, blue and yellow. All other colors are derived from these three.
Monochromatic: Color schemes that are shades and tints of one color. For example: brown and taupe.
Secondary Colors: A mix of two primary colors. For example: violet is made from mixing blue and red, green is made from yellow and blue, and yellow and red combine to make orange.
Triad colors: Three colors that are equally spaced on the color wheel, such as violet, red and orange or red, yellow and blue.
Value/Tone: Degree of lightness or darkness of a color. It is determined by adding black to create a shade, white to create a tint, or gray to create a tone. Monochromatic color schemes are shades and tints of one color.
Paintbrush Shape:
- Angled-Sash Paintbrush – The bristles are cut at an angle to make it easier to cut into corners and paint moldings.
- Straight-End Paintbrush – Straight-end brushes’ bristles are cut at the same length.
Types of Bristles: The best brushes have bristles that are flagged and tipped. Flagged bristles are slightly split, so they’ll hold more paint and spread it more smoothly. Tipped bristles are slightly tapered to help release an even, controllable amount of paint.
Cleaning Paintbrushes: Use soap and water to clean latex paint off the brush immediately after painting. If the paint dries on the brush, you’ll need special solvents to remove it. If your house is on a public sewer system, you can clean the brushes in your sink, but be careful not to dispose of paint in an area where it might seep into the groundwater.
For oil-based paints, you’ll need a solvent such as paint thinner or mineral spirits. Pour about two inches of thinner into a metal container and swirl the dirty brush in it until the paint comes off. Press the brush against the side of the container to remove excess thinner and clean off the remaining thinner with a rag, then rinse with soap and water. If oil-based paint dries on your brush, just soak it in thinner for a few minutes before cleaning. Caution: Rags, steel wool, sanding dust or waste soaked with oil-based products may spontaneously catch fire if improperly discarded. Immediately after each use, place rags, steel wool, sanding dust or waste in a sealed, water-filled metal container
Moist paintbrushes can be wrapped in plastic or waxed paper and sealed with a rubber band or aluminum foil. Hang brushes upside down to maintain their shape.
Painting Pads: These can be very useful for cutting around trim. The pads come with small wheels that allow you to paint up to the edge of the trim without getting paint on the trim. To use one, dip the pad face into the paint, being careful not to get paint on the rollers.
Paint Sprayers: There is a wide selection of sprayers available, ranging in size, capabilities and price. No matter which type you use, always wear a dust mask or respirator to protect yourself from fumes.
- Hand-held airless paint sprayers – best for staining and for outdoor work, such as painting a fence or sealing a deck. Use only oil-based paint or stain unless it is rated at 45 watts or more.
- Airless spray paint roller — works like a paint roller, without the inconvenience of having to continuously refill your paint tray as you work.
- High-volume low-pressure sprayer – designed for professional finishing jobs, where the control of the spray is important. Good for painting interior walls, exterior jobs and crown or dentil molding. They come with various nozzles that can be used to create special designs. Can use oil- or latex-based paint.
- High-pressure, low-volume sprayer – this sprayer is gravity fed and works with a compressor. It has the capacity to spray a wide variety of finishes, but can overspray and splash back at times.
- Diaphragm paint sprayer – works with five-gallon bucket to provide a continuous supply of paint.
Paint-Sprayer Cleanup: After using latex paint, run water through the sprayer until it’s clear. After using oil-based paint, pour paint thinner into the sprayer. It’s important to clean the sprayer and nozzles thoroughly because any leftover paint can ruin the machine.
Roller Covers: Paint rollers are great time savers on any paint project. Using the correct roller cover can make your painting a whole lot smoother.
- Nap –The correct nap length of roller cover all depends on the texture of the surface you are painting. For a rough surface, use a roller with a long nap length. For smooth surfaces, use a shorter nap length. For example, on concrete block or stucco use a roller cover with a 3/4″ to 1″ nap. A 3/8″ or 1/2” nap will probably work for most interior wall surfaces and with various sheen levels. A 1/4” nap is too flat and hard for most wall applications.
- Fiber – Mohair is good for applying enamel paint. Lambswool covers are excellent for alkyd paints, but not for latex. Synthetic fibers are the most versatile but cannot be used with epoxies and polyurethane.
- Core – Cardboard cores are not very durable because they absorb the paint, get soft and often lose their shape. Also, cardboard and many other types of roller covers use glue to hold the fabric to the core. The problem here is that the solvents in paint can cause the glue to dissolve, making the roller fall apart.
When selecting a roller frame, look for expandable poles made from heavy-gauge wire, and make sure it has end bearings for smooth operation.
Cleaning Rollers:
- For latex paint, scrape as much paint off the roller as possible. Partially fill a sink or large bucket with warm water and roll the applicator back and forth. If necessary, use detergent with the water to remove difficult paint. Rinse the roller until the water is clear. Let dry.
- For oil-based paint, scrape as much paint as possible off the roller. Roll the applicator in a paint tray containing mineral spirits or paint thinner then wash the roller in soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and let dry.
- Store rollers in clean plastic bags.
Hi! My name is Sue and I work for GRNY Renovation. I will teach you some Painting Basics starting with the right brush for your project!
The brush you choose depends largely on two things, the paint and the project:
Brush Quality:
Be sure to buy the right roller for the task. The thicker the nap, the rougher the surface it’ll cover.Choosing the Right Roller Cover:
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