When I meet with new design clients they sometimes pull out paint swatches to show me what they have selected. This is typically before anything else has been chosen for the room. I always tell them this: Paint colors are infinite. Every other decision we need to make in this space has more limited options. Pick your paint color last. That is not to say you shouldn’t have an idea of the direction you want to go with your wall color. In any room, the walls are the single largest surface, so the color that is used there will have a huge impact. Maybe you want a calm, serene shade of blue. Go ahead and find inspiration images of blue rooms, and maybe even collect paint swatches of colors that you like. But hold off on the final decision – and wait to actually paint – until you have chosen the other finishes and furnishings. The reason for this advice has to do with the complexity of color. “Blue” can mean many different shades. With neutral colors, it is even more difficult: every shade of beige has an undertone and some do not mix well with others. Wait until you have all other items in the space (or, at least, samples of the fabrics and finishes you will be using) to select a wall color that will compliment everything. It is also important to do this in your room and not at a store since lighting makes such a difference in how color is perceived.
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