Colors go a long way to tie together your home's aesthetic, while materials can affect your home's functionality and the way you interact with your home. Your priorities and even your personality show through in your choices of colors and materials for a home renovation, so selecting the right colors and materials for a home renovation project is important.
During the planning portion of your home renovation, you'll work with your contractor to approve designs and explore materials and colors you like best. You'll look at drawings, see materials and samples in person, and probably go back and forth on several options before making your final selection. Finding a process that works for you is important because, in the end, the selections you make could affect you for years to come.
How to Choose the Right Colors
Choosing the right color is a back-and-forth process. There's not one way to choose a paint color you like, but many homeowners start with a general idea of paint colors that interest them and then hone that palette to specific shades.
Have Some Ideas Up Front
Spend some time at paint stores gathering your ideas. Look through online catalogs and magazines too. Publications like New England Home offer a lot of good photos of beautiful home interiors. Ask yourself which colors you like and don't like. Use an online scrapbooking app like Pinterest to keep samples of colors you like to show your contractor.
If you're having a hard time narrowing your choices, check out an online palette generator for some good ideas. Palette generators can work in lots of ways. Some will generate a palette from a photograph you like, others will suggest accent colors if you choose a main color for your room. Check out our blog article on apps that can help your home remodel for more suggestions.
See Your Ideas Come Together in Drawings
If your remodel warrants a design, your contractor will show you a drawing of the potential finished product. You can use that drawing to decide whether the colors align with your tastes. The more information you're able to give your contractor about colors and palettes that appeal to you before the drawing is made, the easier it will be for your contractor to produce a drawing you like.
Make Your Final Selections
Once you've approved a drawing, you'll probably head back to the paint store to make your final selection. Swatches are helpful, but the best way to choose a paint color you really like is to paint a large sample of it on your walls.
What's Popular Now?
Grays and whites remain popular in Connecticut homes. Some popular shades include Balboa Mist by Benjamin Moore, a warm, complex gray that looks great with hardwood floors and flattering in rooms big and small. If you like a cooler gray, White Metal by Behr is light enough and bright enough to elevate your home interior.
Some popular white paints include Benjamin Moore's Simply White and Behr's Swiss Coffee. One thing to remember when you're selecting whites and grays is that the undertones (cool or warm) make all the difference. Paint a sample on your walls, and compare that sample to other potential shades, before making your final selection.
How to Choose the Right Materials
Whether you're choosing tile, countertop, flooring, or something else, the process of selecting the right materials is much like the process of selecting the right paint colors. It will involve some research from you, the homeowner, but this research can be fun.
Look in Catalogs and Online
View online catalogs and pictures of home renovations before deciding what you like. You can also visit some home improvement stores to get a sense of what's available and popular.
Explore Material Suppliers
Your contractor can send you to material suppliers to select the materials that most appeal to you. If you've chosen a good contractor, they should have relationships with several material suppliers that sell quality materials you can count on.
Make Your Final Selections
As you make your final selections, consider the following questions:
Durability and longevity. How long will the material last? Will you get more value out of a material that lasts longer? What kind of wear and tear can the material of your choice withstand, and is that a right fit for your home and lifestyle?
Maintenance. How much maintenance does the material require? Will you be happier with a material that requires less maintenance?
Visual appeal. Does the material meet your aesthetic goals, and look right with the colors you're selecting for your remodel?
Potential home buyer appeal. If you're planning to sell your home in the next five years, will this material appeal to home buyers?
Need More Help Choosing Colors and Materials for a Home Renovation? Maybe You Need an Architect
Architects bring an extra level of expertise to the design process and are trained to create designs that truly standout. If you'd like next-level help from an expert to ensure that your design, including colors and materials, will look their best, then you may benefit from working with an architect.
Making the decision between design build vs architect can be tough. Make contact with a design build contractor that also has relationships with architects. Your contractor can help you determine when design build is warranted, and when an architect is more appropriate.
For more information about selecting a contractor in Connecticut, download Litchfield Builders free guide to Choosing a Home Remodel Contrator.
