contented rooms
staging and enhancement
before optimal showing,
buyer appeal,
faster sale.		 after
314-359-9127 
www.contentedrooms.com
June 15, 2006
Paint Color 101 - Conclusion
 
 
White Walls Are For Tires
There is no doubt that color influences our reaction to a room. If you've ever walked into a room and thought "dark", "dull" or "dreary", chances are the colors in the room contributed to that impression.
 
Because color can make such a difference in the look and feel of a room, it's an important consideration in the presentation of your listing, especially if your client is going to be freshening up the walls with a new coat of paint anyway. Why not make sure that coat of paint will leverage the room's impression to your benefit?
  

  Did You Know? On average:
  • 60% of a room's color is the walls
  • 30% of a room's color is the upholstery
  • 10% of the room's color is from accent pieces.
 
In the last few issues, we looked at how a room's exposure, size and space can give you clues in where to start for making a color choice. (See April and May issues.) This month, we'll wrap up our look at choosing colors with a few final hints, and a color guide that you can print and take with you when you're out talking to your client.
 
What Else Is In The Room?

The walls, of course, are not standing alone in the room. Architectural features and your client's furnishings also help determine what colors to choose:
  • Large or Permanent Fixtures
    There are some colors in the room that just aren't practical to change,
    such as the color of wood floors or carpeting, and brick, tile or stonework.
    If that's the case, you will want to make sure the wall color coordinates
    with the fixture's color palette.
     
    In many cases, a client's larger furniture pieces will also help dictate
    what colors to use. Large furniture, such as an armoire or brightly
    colored sofa, needs to be taken into consideration, and may also narrow
    down your best color selection.
     
  • Highlight Selling Features
    Does the room have an architectural feature you want to emphasize?
    Consider using color to make it a focal attraction. Paint can be used
    as an accent color on a wall with a fireplace, for example. Any time
    you use a contrasting color (opposite colors on the color wheel),
    objects will stand out from the wall.
     
  • Minimize Less Desirable Features
    The opposite is true as well. If you want to minimize a somewhat unfortunate
    feature, choose similar colors to help it blend in and become less noticeable.
    Low contrast can also help calm down a room. And the more colorful the
    furnishings, the less color is needed on the walls.
     
Color Selection Guide
Click here to download a .pdf file with these and other great color selection tips.
 
Coming next month:
Want to know the top 5 decorating mistakes that might be keeping your listing from showing at its best? Next month we'll show you what they are, and what you can do to fix them.

Thank you for your interest in staging and room enhancement. For more information, please give me a call at
314-359-9127. 		  Andria Wallace, IADA, RES Andria Wallace,IADA, RES
contented rooms
314-359-9127
www.contentedrooms.com
awallace@contentedrooms.com