Beyond Builder’s Beige :: Pro Tips on Picking Paint Colors and More

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Our family moved into our current house about three years ago. A new build in a suburban neighborhood, every wall is painted Builder’s Beige. You know the color I’m talking about- the generic {boring?} yet safe beige used in entire neighborhoods. And to be fair, when we moved in, the color looked great- clean and neutral against crisp white baseboards and perfectly polished tile. But fast forward 36 months and that Builder’s Beige is a sad sight, after being assaulted by grubby hands, ride-on toy crashes, and yes, a gallery-worthy crayon drawing at toddler eye level, right on the living room wall. #BlessThisMess. Now, I knew the mature, adult thing to do was paint the house. But, I confess, for months, I was paralyzed by that notion. I had so many questions. How do I pick a color, or even worse, colors? Do I paint it myself or hire a professional? If I hire a professional painter, who do I pick? 

Thankfully, a friend with impeccable style recommended Texas Painting Company of Houston.  I had the pleasure of speaking with owner and mother of two, Audrey Hawken, who shared their work with me and gave me many tips and tricks on picking a great interior paint color.  I’m now itching to get some color on these walls. 

Hire a Professional Painter

Listen, I know DIY is all the rage these days, and HGTV would have you believe that great looking walls magically happen in the span of a 30 minute episode. But let’s be real. I have three kids, a husband, and a job. I have laundry, so much laundry. And it’s summer. I want to be out, enjoying this season and this city with my kids, not stuck in my house with drop cloths and painter’s tape. I know if I attempted this job myself instead of hiring a professional painter, it would take at least twice as long and probably look half as good. Professional painters know what they are doing. I do not. 

Pick a Great Color

This is definitely my biggest obstacle, even as I know I will hire a professional painter to do the job. Because they could do the best, most efficient painting job ever, but if I pick an awful color, I’m not going to care how perfect the lines are. I’ll be crying at the kitchen sink with a glass of wine, missing my Builder’s Beige. So, in an effort to avoid, this scenario, I’ve researched some tips on picking a great interior wall color.

Get Inspired

You could spend the rest of your days on Pinterest and not see all the room color inspiration photos. But do spend a bit of time on the site and see what catches your eye or what rooms have similar style to yours. Make a board, and narrow down your favorites. For those pins whose sites give specific paint color recommendations, write them down or take a screen shot with your phone for when you visit the paint store. 

Purchase Paint Testers and Posterboard

Take a trip to the paint store and purchase a few testers to try out at home. Then paint an entire posterboard with each color. Hold the posterboards up to your furniture to see how they look against each other. Then tape the posterboards to the wall, and leave them up for at least several days. This way, you can see how the colors look at different times of the day and in different light, and, if after a few days, you actually still like the colors. Audrey recommends after choosing a color to request that your home be painted with a zero VOC eggshell paint. Eggshell finish allows little hand prints to be wiped away and zero VOC is environmentally safe and ensures that your house has very little odor after being painted.

Be Realistic

After living in an entire house painted Builder’s Beige for three years, I’m tempted to go for COLOR. But, I have to be realistic. The bold green that is so enticing in that model home on Pinterest 1. won’t look the same in my well lived in house and 2. may lose its appeal after the newness wears off. So, I’m sticking with neutrals. It’s a lot easier and less expensive to change out throw pillows to give a pop of color than it is to hire a professional painter again when that bold wall color isn’t working anymore.

Just Go For It

Texas Painting Company offers free estimates, and your final bill will be no higher than that estimate. Your home will be painted by a professional, trained crew using premium grade products. Still nervous and paralyzed about changing the color in your home? I know- hiring a professional painter is a big step. But summer is the perfect time to change things up and come home to fresh, fingerprint and crayon-free walls, so go for it! Contact Texas Painting Company of Houston’s Director of Sales, Chris Bilec, for your free, no obligation estimate.


 

Connect with Texas Painting Company

www.txpaintinghouston.com

Audrey Hawken, [email protected]

[email protected] or 713.589.2956

1 COMMENT

  1. I found it helpful when you said to get paint sample and paint poster boards to hang on your wall for several days. I can see how doing something like this can help you get a feel for the color. My husband and I are thinking of repainting our main living area. Doing something like this can be helpful in getting the prefect color.

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