Breaking down the what, where and why on all the paint colors in our home for Building 101 this week. I also want to dive into why a particular color may look different online versus your living room versus your bedroom and different paint sheens and where to use them. Buckle up! Lots of information ahead!

I get asked daily what paint colors we chose for almost every space in our home. So, I wanted to make it really easy for you to have a pinnable reference with a photo of our space and the paint colors and sheens listed. That way you can save it to your Pinterest inspiration board for future reference. I got you! 😉

Q: Why do my sample paint colors look completely different than the inspiration photo?

A: There could be several reasons!

1. Lighting is a huge culprit in paint color changes. The direction natural light comes into the room (if your space faces north versus south, etc.), the time of day, even the color temperature of the bulb if there is a light on.
2. Editing is another big one. The photographer may have used a filter that distorted the colors.
3. Color casts from other items in the room, flooring affects colors so much!
4. How your screen’s white balance is calibrated.
5. Saturation of the paint color. Did you know you can ask for more or less saturation based off a percentage?!
6. Using a different sheen. We’ll talk more about this below.

Something to keep in mind when you’re figuring out the color story of your home is, of course, your budget! Before we built I had no idea that it cost more money with every color and sheen you added. We technically chose 4 interior paints, even though we only had the paints paint 3 colors (Iron Ore, Naturel, and Chantilly Lace in eggshell and satin). Even though you painter is covering the same square footage, the labor goes up considerably with each color because they have to thoroughly clean their sprayer, hoses and any other equipment they’re using which takes a lot of time. To save money we painted our primary bedroom and Kate’s room, and plan to paint both the boy’s bedrooms as well.

Q: How do I know what sheen to use?

A: First, consider the where. Then follow this guide.

TIP:

When sampling your paint color(s), don’t do what I did and paint them directly on the wall. Instead paint them on a scrap piece of wood, cardboard or poster board. Depending on the color you’re sampling it could take your painter several coats to completely cover your test areas. …and if you do it on every wall in your home like I did it ends up being a huge headache. I did four really large test spots in our powder bath all of really similar coloring (Iron Ore, Tricorn Black, Black Magic, Caviar) and it took SEVEN coats to cover. Don’t forget to do at least 2 coats on your sample board, I would do 3 to be on the safe side. Or you can order these and save yourself the trouble! 😉

I hope you found this post helpful in choosing your paint colors and sheens. Don’t forget to pin these for future reference! For more Building 101 topics click here.