A fresh coat of paint is a great way to change the look and feel of a home, and it’s important that the thought process include more than just color schemes. Lisa LaPorta, designer and co-host of HGTV’s “Designed to Sell,” along with KILZ Casual Colors paint, offer expert tips for repainting your home.

1. Don’t Fear Change…or Color

There are no rules about color when it comes to your own home. Using neutral or earth tones for larger, more permanent or more expensive items like the sofa will allow you to experiment with paint and colorful accessories to liven up your personal space. Many people fear dark and bold colors for their walls, but it’s okay to get creative with paint color, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. The KILZ Casual Colors paint line, for example, offers a one-coat coverage guarantee, making it easy to quickly and inexpensively update the look of a room.

2. The Two “C’s” of Design: Customize and Complement

A room’s color scheme should always be decided based on your personal tastes coupled with something more, like a piece of fabric or favorite accessory. Bring an accent rug or lampshade with you to the store for paint color ideas. Never pick a color based on recommendations from friends and family. Always design to appease your own personality, not the masses.

3. Paint Inside the Lines

Painting is the easiest and cheapest way to transform your home. Alternate taped-off sections of your walls with matte and glossy finishes of the same paint color to create vertical stripes. This creates dimension and elongates the space between your ceiling and floor. Using faux finishes, stencils and borders can also add personality to your home. To avoid peeling away new paint, carefully remove the tape as soon as you finish painting each section.

4. Be Your Own Monet

Believe it or not, a plainly painted canvas can be just as effective as an expensive piece of art. To tie the color scheme of your room together, purchase and paint several canvases with colors inspired by the details of your room – green from the throw pillows or brown from the area rug. Hang your homemade art grouped in a symmetric pattern or scattered across the wall creating a completely unique masterpiece.

5. Work that Woodwork

Cabinetry, trim and other woodwork add detail and dimension to a room, and finishing them with paint can make them more effective design elements. Use a semi- or high-gloss paint on woodwork to help emphasize architectural details. Priming and then painting trim and cabinets separates the walls from the woodwork, helping every carving and edge to pop.

6. Pick-Up the Right Accent

Home enthusiasts are increasingly keen on accent walls, but deciding which wall to paint is tricky. Walls with dramatic architectural features, such as fireplaces and detailed woodwork, make the best accent walls. Avoid choosing long walls and those with TVs or “holes,” like doors and windows, for your accent color. Painting them creates distraction and causes them to compete with other dramatic features of the room.

7. From Gloss to Flat, Finish Matters

Using paint with the appropriate finish can make or break your space. Kitchens and bathrooms should always be painted with a semi- or high-gloss finish for protection against moisture and everyday wear and tear. Glossy finishes tend to highlight a wall’s imperfections, however, so use a flat finish in bedrooms or dining rooms. Another good finish for bedrooms is KILZ Casual Colors Eggshell, which falls between satin and flat. And regardless of what finish you settle on, always use a primer first to seal the surface and ensure the best results.

8. Color Me Moody

Scientific research proves that colors affect our moods. Extroverts tend to choose warm hues when painting while introverts select cooler palettes for their walls. The soothing power of blues and lavenders work well in an office or study, and bolder reds and oranges work best in rooms where the action takes place, such as the family room and kids’ rooms. And dieters beware; pinks and reds elevate your sweet tooth, so keep them out of the kitchen.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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