How to Pick a Paint Color the Right Way

Choosing a paint color for your space can be overwhelming, but these tips will ensure you get it right on the first try.

Whether you're looking to revamp your kitchen cabinets or completely transform your bedroom, choosing the right paint color can be an overwhelming task. With so many different swatches and color chips to choose from, how do you go about deciding which paint hues make the most sense for each space? Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you're happy with your paint color choice—before you cover your walls with it.

Related: 3 Ways to Color Match Paint—Plus, How to Identify Its Finish

Get Inspired

The easiest way to start the color selection process is by gathering inspiration from external sources. "Homeowners can find inspiration from other homes, Pinterest, magazines, or even nature and the world around them," says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. This will help you decide what aesthetics you naturally gravitate towards, instead of just choosing a color that's trending. While trends can serve as inspiration, you shouldn't feel required to paint a room a color you don't love just because it's in style right now.

Look to Your Existing Décor

You can use your home's existing furnishings as a guide for choosing paint colors, too. "I recommend using big décor pieces in your space as a reference point when finding your new paint colors—items that can't be easily changed like a large rug or kitchen countertops—and go from there," says Wadden. Using those design elements will help you create a color palette for your space, and thus find complementary paint colors.

Use the Color Wheel When Pairing Up Shades

If you're looking for multiple paint colors that look nice together, consider using a color wheel. "The color wheel is valuable if you understand that the placement of two or three colors on a color wheel often gives you a decent idea that the colors will look nice together," says Paige NeJame, the owner of CertaPro Painters. "For example, complementary colors are on opposite sides of the color wheel.  Using two complementary colors usually results in a vibrant and visually striking combination."

On the other hand, analogous colors are next to each other on the wheel and create a harmonious, cohesive, and tonal look.

Consider Paint Color Undertones

Also ensure that your paint color's undertone will make sense with your home's existing palette or décor. "Working with undertones almost always boils down to cool versus warm," says Wadden. "For example, if you're looking for a paint color for a living room that already has a rug with cool undertones, choose a paint color with cool undertones as a complement."

Order Paint Samples

After you've gathered inspiration and landed on colors that speak to you and might work in your house, the next step is to bring home paint samples. To do so, go to your local hardware or paint store and pull chips from your favorite brands; then hang them up on your wall. Leave the chips there for a few days and really spend time with them before deciding on a color. "If homeowners do this work ahead of time, the chances that they're going to love that color go up exponentially," says Wadden.

Related: How to Use Paint Swatches the Right Way (and Pick the Color You Really Want)

Paint a Swatch

Some brands, like Sherwin-Williams, also offer paint can samples, so you can paint a test area first. This will allow you to see how the light in your space alters the color prior to committing. "As a final check before you paint the whole house or room, do a color swatch and let it dry completely—paint color is not true until it is dry," says NeJame. "Don't buy all the paint you need until you have double checked the color on your wall by painting a swatch of it."

Related: 7 Paint Colors That Will Brighten Up Dark Rooms in Your Home, According to Interior Designers

Test Colors at Different Times of Day

Light can dramatically change the way a certain paint color looks. "Sometimes the same paint color can look drastically different in two different rooms depending on the kind of light it gets," says Wadden. "I always recommend that homeowners consider the presence and direction of natural light in a space before choosing a final paint color."

For example, a north-facing room painted in a warm orange-red color will look brighter than it would in a west-facing room painted in that same color. "A west-facing room can look dull and shadowy in the morning but be bathed in a warm glow in the evening thanks to the setting sun," says Wadden.