By Diane Feen
When it comes to color, everyone has a favorite. But, have you ever wanted to paint your walls and come up blank when asked, “What color do you want them to be?”
Well, join the club. As a former fashion editor who sees the world in Technicolor (and knows the difference between beige and cream) I was mute when it came to picking colors for my interior spaces. It seemed that picking a wall color was akin to picking out furniture for a room I had never seen.
So I went to Regal Paint Center on Palmetto Park Road and sat with color cards and asked myself (and everyone else around) what color would look best on my walls. When I was told that no one uses white anymore as a wall color I was miffed. I was also in agreement – colorful walls seem like happy walls.
But, the question still remained, what color should I choose? That’s when Regal Paint Center owner Steve Rasmussen came to the rescue. He introduced me to his latest acquisition (he has seven stores already) a color consultant named Veronica Bower.
It was Bower who explained the color equation to me. “When painting a bedroom, for example, you always want to use the minimal color in a print. If you have a pink bedspread with blue paisley flower with gold on the inside of the flower, you pick gold for the wall color. If you have white walls and a white bedspread, you should get a red pillow because the eye always looks for color.”
I also asked Bower what color walls look best if you have dark flooring. “If your floors have a dark stain then you should go with mid-tone pastel walls. Khaki, sage green or a soft gray are good colors.” But if your space is small then you need to stay with lighter color walls she told me (she suggested Benjamin Moore Navajo white). You know what else Bower said? “White ceilings are out – instead use the same color you have on the walls – only make it 50 percent lighter.”
If you think that fashion is the only thing that changes with the times, you are wrong. It seems the latest décor design tip (that adds dimension to a room) is to pick one wall and make it a different color than the rest of the room – it’s called an accent wall. “You paint the wall farthest from you when you walk into the room (or behind the headboard in a bedroom). The accent wall needs to be a darker color than your other walls,” said Bower.
Bower also had some other handy tips for me. She suggested painting the kitchen ceiling sky blue. “The secret here is that no matter what the weather is like outside you always have a beautiful day inside.” She had a point; a sky blue kitchen ceiling is one way to beat the blues. She also suggested a way to divide a room by color. “If you buy strip molding you can create an imaginary wall divider so you can paint the room two different colors.”
Veronica works in the West Palm Beach Regal Paint Center but is available to make on-site color consultations, so you can take the guess work (and stress) out of the color picking process. And trust me – that is a big help when it comes to coloring your world.
“All Regal associates choose to be a Person of Integrity by giving 100 percent to the job. They do this by being completely honest and forthcoming. We choose to give our customers The Best Value by providing: The Best Paint, The Best Service and The Best Attitude,” said owner Rasmussen.
And you know what – I agree.
Regalpaint.com
(561) 659-9034 or (800) 501-7019