Painting a room is one of the simplest and least expensive ways to remodel. In terms of cost and complexity, painting goes a long way in terms of achieving dramatic redecorating results.
Choosing your paint color can be the most fun of the entire painting process.

Colors carry messages and meanings that cause us to react. Pick paint colors that suit your lifestyle, personality or home. Paint isn’t permanent, and color experiments gone wrong are an easy fix. Paint shades allow us to express ourselves in a nonverbal manner.

All Cole Hardware locations are equipped with room painting software that allows you to paint your room on a computer screen to see the results of any new color choices. Simply bring in your camera’s memory chip and upload your image. You’ll be able to view your room in every color in the rainbow.

If you wish to test-drive a color before making a full commitment, Benjamin Moore paint pods allow you to test a 2-by-2-foot section of wall to get a good idea of what the paint will look like in different lighting and with the furnishings, flooring, wall hangings, and window treatments in your home. If you need to see a larger surface in your test color, Benjamin Moore also offers a pint sized can of paint that can be tinted in any of the over 3,000 colors in the line. This is a great way to test several colors at one time to select the one suited best for you.

The Hidden Meaning Behind Color

RED: The most sensual of all colors invoking passion, red causes action and reaction. Deeper reds, such as claret or wine, signify elegance and luxury. A perfect accent color and recognized in every language (think stop signs), red symbolizes love, strength, good fortune, and happiness. We often see red front doors on the outsides of homes because of its feng shui properties.

ORANGE: Used heavily in Renaissance paintings, orange used to be a color only for the elite: Only the wealthy could afford oranges at that time. But times have changed and so has orange. Popular in European home accessories, orange is now seen as whimsical and indicative of constant motion.

BLUE: The color of integrity, loyalty and serenity, blue is constant and dependent. After all, the sky has never fallen! However not all blues reflect calm. Subcolors such as electric blue can invoke excitement.

GREEN: The color of nature and earth, green has advanced from a fashion color to a full-on movement. Not just a trend but also a color direction, green de-stresses and indicates new beginnings, forward movement, confidence, spring, and growth – in addition to eco-awareness. Notice how varying shades of green have become a basic color in fashion, home appliances and furnishings, and even automobile colors.

BROWN: Perceived as rich and robust, brown has been elevated to a new level of elegance. Largely due to the “coffee and chocolate” phenomenon, what used to be strictly a wood tone is now seen as lavish.

PINK: A member of the red family, pink is no longer just bubblegum and Barbie – it also carries energy and excitement. A standard fashion color for years, pink ranges from pale baby pink to rich, deep fuchsias.

YELLOW: Connected to sunlight and warmth, yellow reflects enlightenment … all things Zen and spiritual. Known to alleviate Seasonal Affective Disorder, yellow houses sell faster than those of other colors. Yellow is a popular choice for children’s rooms and kitchens.

PURPLE: Once associated with royalty, purple is now seen as a fashion color for both men and woman. Purple tones with a hint of red are more sensual and dynamic; while purple shades skewed towards blue suggest mystery and magic.

AVOCADO: A perfect example of how color perceptions change over time, avocado can be seen as “cool” to younger generations who have no recollection of the appliances and shag carpeting that dominated homes in the 1970s.

Whatever your inner self is trying to say, say it with a fresh coat of paint!

Julia Strzesieski is the marketing coordinator at Cole Hardware.
E-mail: [email protected]