Choosing Paint Colors

The psychology of color has been the topic of countless books and magazine articles – and rightly so. The proper tint and hue can make a major difference in a room's overall mood.

To select the colors for our "green" makeover on Washington St., we wanted an overall style that would appeal to a potential buyer but also look hip and cool. In addition, since the rooms in the home are not large, we looked for colors that were light enough to help expand them.

One of my favorite tricks is to simply ask the paint salesmen what is selling well. Jesus Maldonado at Sherwin-Williams on Kingsley in Garland gave us some great advice. "Grays with a touch of taupe are definitely in style right now for interior colors," he commented. He went on to explain that these blend well with a variety of furnishings. We loved the look of Agreeable Gray (SW7029) in satin along with Pure White (SW7005) in semi-gloss for the trim to help it pop.

For the exterior vinyl siding, we chose Pure White (SW7005) in semi-gloss and Squirrel Gray (SWVS 338) for the porches and accents.

Sherwin-Williams also has a cool phone app called ColorSnap that can help choose colors. We're going to try it later and confirm our color choices.

Coming up next: We start painting!