Color Wash

Digging through hundreds of sample cards and choosing what paint color to use can feel like a huge undertaking. While the tendency is to go for neutrals, adding some color can pay off. Stepping out of your comfort zone is challenging — but Andy January, the co-owner of January Paints, has been in business long enough to know the best tricks to help you refresh your home without going off the deep end.

Test Run

Pantone named 2020’s color of the year classic blue, but January advises to take a few considerations before painting classic blue all over your home.

“Get a quart sample and paint a sample on the wall. Look at it in the morning, midday, late afternoon, evening,” January says, adding paint behind a photo frame is a smart way to hide samples while you have guests over. Sampling is important because your favorite color in the store might look completely different in your home depending upon how much light is in the room.

That’s why January also recommends that painters consider Akron’s gray weather. While the darker classic blue might be

calming for winter, it could drain excitement from your home on a dreary day. Try a beige or yellow to combat the gloomy weather. But if you’re still wanting a darker shade, use it in an expansive room that receives a large amount of natural lighting. 

When you’ve decided on a color, invest in a high-quality brush and painter’s tape. “That’s where people make the biggest mistake,” January says. If you want to avoid streaks and create clean lines, don’t skimp on buying first-rate brushes or rollers.

Go Matte

Choosing the right sheen and finish can make a world of difference. A matte finish can upgrade your walls from dull to striking.

“Matte finishes from most companies are incredibly scrubbable, so you get the architectural beauty of a flat finish with the scrubbability of an eggshell finish or a satin finish,” says January. But unlike the glossier finishes, matte hides blemishes on walls. 

If you are looking for something that has an impact but also withstands a toddler’s generous artwork or spaghetti sauce mishaps, choosing matte is an excellent way to impress guests and minimize the amount of energy you spend cleaning walls.

Unique Flair

For an artistic and bold touch, paint molding and trim. White is very popular now. If there’s chair rail — molding that runs horizontally on the walls — in your home, you can paint the wall below and above the molding two different colors to create stark contrast. If you’d like to add a third dimension, January says, you can purchase 1/2-inch molding to create picture frames. Then paint them the same color as the chair rail. 

Ceilings can be another unconventional way to liven up a room. January calls them “the fifth wall of a room.” In a nation where everyone’s ceiling is white, he advises experimenting with color. “You would want to paint it so it looks different from everybody else’s,” he says.

For a cozy atmosphere, paint the walls brown and the ceiling an even darker brown. “It would be warm, inviting,” January says. In a smaller space, like a mudroom, try a metallic color on the ceiling to give it a pop. 

Small Risks

Maybe there is a small part of you that is dying to paint a wall radiant orange, but you can’t stomach your friends coming over to a Cheeto-dusted kitchen if it doesn’t work out the way you had hoped.

January knows bright paint feels good, but he advises you to let your creative side flourish in the small rooms of your home, like laundry rooms and bathrooms. Taking risks in limited spaces is a good way to test your taste before updating the rest of your home.

“You can use bright paint anywhere,” January says, “but if you paint the bathroom and think, I made a mistake, you get another quart of paint and repaint it.”

Whether it’s finding your new favorite color or getting creative with trim, these tips can help you add vibrancy to your home with a smart, tasteful approach.