You go to the paint store, pick out a nice hue of your favorite color from a tiny paint strip, and order a few gallons of paint. You set aside a weekend, prep your room, and get the job done. But something's wrong, the color looks different from what you picked out, and it doesn't even compliment your sofa and rug. Now you have to start the process all over again to turn the results around. We get it; choosing a paint color can be surprisingly tricky, but learning the basic rules of color selection is the best way to avoid painter's remorse. The right paint color is especially critical if you're planning to list your home among Victoria homes for sale or White Bear homes for sale. Follow these tips for painting success.

• Create a Color Scheme
  Mapping out the room before you head to the hardware store is a great place to start. Consider what will be in each room in terms of furniture, fabrics, flooring, décor accessories, and finishes. You can then get a color wheel to see how colors might relate to each other and how you can mix them to create a balanced color scheme.

• Think About the Mood You Want to Create
  Wall color is an incredibly powerful tool that can evoke an emotional response and completely change a space's size. In general, cold colors such as greens, blues, and clean whites are perceived as soothing and restful and are ideal for private rooms. Warm colors like yellow, orange, and red create a sense of drama, making them ideal for social rooms. When it comes to space, a darker shade on the walls will shrink the room, while a lighter one will make even a small face feel wider.
  
  
• Consider How Light Affects Colors
  The amount of light in a room can have a huge impact on the overall look and feel. Each light temperature gives out a color undertone, which makes a room feel different during the day than it does at night. With that in mind, paint small sections of paint on each wall and spend some time in the room throughout the day to get a sense of how changes in natural light affect it. In a room that's mostly used at night, consider how the color would react to fluorescent and incandescent lights.
  
  
• Don't Start With Painting
  Usually, furniture and textiles are considered a finishing aspect of a home design process, so this advice may seem counterintuitive. Walls can be painted in any color and hue you desire, but you might find yourself limited to a few accessories and furnishing options that complement your wall color. But if you select your furnishings first, you're far more likely to find a coordinating paint color.
  
  
• Don't Forget the Finish
  Many people don't understand that paint color is much more than the shade itself. Paint finish can have a huge impact on how your finished product looks. There are five types of paint finishes; flat/matte, satin, eggshell, semi-gloss, and high-gloss. Glossy paint will reflect a lot of light and can make colors seem darker than their swatch colors. Matte finishes reflect very little light, appear smooth and flat, look lighter than their swatch colors. Eggshell is the perfect balance of the two extremes.
  
  
• Remember to Do a Color Test
  You don't have to paint an entire wall to get an idea of how the paint color and finish will look. Once you've narrowed your color choices down, get sample cans and paint small squares of the sample color(s) on your wall. For the best outcome, start with a primer or paint at least two layers to ensure the existing color doesn't affect the appearance of the new color. If you don't want paint swatches on your wall yet, use white poster boards and hang them on the wall. This will still give you a sense of the color without the mess.

Bought a home and looking to update it? Choosing the right color can transform your new home and beautifully reflect your personal style. Call today for more home improvement tips.