2010 Paint Color Trends - Does This Change Anything for a Home Seller?

Well, according to www.decoratorsecrets.com, the color for 2010 is YELLOW.  Yellow is the color that makes us think of warm sunshine and bright happy spring days.  Yellow is a primary color, one of three primary colors and when mixed the primary colors will make up the basis for the other colors in the spectrum.

 When I think of yellow, I can feel the sunshine warming my skin.

Light lavender is another color being recommended for bedrooms.  Since purple is often associated with royalty this may be a "trick" to try and help all of us in this slow economy feel better when we go to sleep in our purple bedroom.

Gray has made it on the list again. I am pretty sure, I saw this mentioned last year somewhere also as a new neutral color to try and replace the beige color that has been around forever.  Most people still prefer beige, it tends to blend better with wood furniture and greenery.  I like gray as an accent color, but feel this color is not warm enough to be used to paint entire walls.  A kitchen with stainless steel appliances has "gray" has an accent color but does not need more gray on the wall, this would seem too commercialized to me.

Another one of my favorite sites for color advice is MyPerfectColor.com and this site reports Benjamin Moore HC-35 Powell Buff as the top selling paint.

  This color certainly looks like a beige to me!

The MyPerfectColor website will help you pick two or three colors that go together very well, one of the biggest mistakes in mixing colors is putting a color with a warm undertone together with a color with a cool undertone.  Sometimes, it is very difficult to tell you have done this wrong, the room color(s) will just feel wrong. If you are planning on putting your home on the market very soon, the Benjamin Moore HC-35 color above is a warm neutral that would work very well is most entry ways. 

Going with the latest color trend is never really the best advice when you are staging a home for sale.  Since most home owners paint their walls every five to ten years (my opinion), you need to make sure when you suggest a wall paint color that your client (or you) can live with this color for the next 5 years.

Before you pick a wall paint color, there are a few thing to consider:

1.)  The size of the room.  In a smaller room, you will want to go with a lighter wall color to make the wall appear to recede. You would not paint a 1/2 bath a dark blue color, it would make the bathroom appear smaller and the wall would appear to close in on you but a very pale blue would work nicely in this situation.

2.)  The amount of natural light in the room.  Sunlight is reflective, so a room with six very large windows may need a paint color that is a little darker. I would also suggest a matt finish if you have many windows in the room to prevent the sun glare from bouncing around.

3.)  The ceiling.  I like to paint ceilings a lighter shade of paint as the walls as long as the room is large enough to support an added design element such as this.

4.)  The style of the furniture in the room you are painting.  The wall paint color needs to complement your decor.

5.)  The adjoining rooms.  The wall paint color needs to also complement the paint in the adjoining room, this is how you create a well put together home.

6.)  The taste of your home owner (if this is an interior design job).  If your home owner is planning on living in this home for the next 10 years, she/he can basically paint the walls any color they want to.  Remember, an interior design job is completely different that a staging job and should be based on the home owner's unique taste's. If this is a house staging job preparing your home for sale, please consult a professional home stager for your best color selection. The rule is to go with a neutral color scheme like sage greens, beige, etc. based on your home's decor and details.

7.)  Never follow the latest trends for trends sake.

When in doubt of the color you want to select, you should paint color boards and look at them during different times of the day and in different lights.  I recommend NEVER to paint directly on a client's wall, why leave a mess on a client's wall when you can use a paint board.  You can order small boards on the MyPerfectColor website, and use blue painters tape to secure it to the wall or ceiling.

I do not see beige going anywhere in the home staging world, it is such a nice neutral with so many shade options available and it is a better option than a stark white wall. 

What are your thoughts?

-Kate

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign now sells semi-custom window coverings at discount prices. Our window coverings include roman shades, Levolor and Dynasty blinds, faux wood blinds, bamboo blinds, woven wood blinds, cornices, valances, sheers, and drapes. Our roman shades can be ordered in 100% pure silk, linen, cotton, or designer fabric. We also offer Benjamin Moore color consultations and test color boards, interior decorating, home staging, and redesign. Please visit http://www.kateshomestaging.com for more info or call 845-538-3623. All window covering appointments include a free 30 minute design consultation for the same room.  We serve Passaic County and Bergen County of New Jersey and Rockland County and Orange County of New York, basically the lower Hudson Valley.  We are an affiliate member of the Passaic County of Realtors, a member of RESA, ASHSR.