#8 of the Top 10 Sanity Savers While Remodeling
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Choose a color palette
This was the game changer for me. The number one place that burnout happens is in the decision making process. You’ve chosen window casings and floor finishes, how bumpy the dry wall is going to be. Seriously, decisions you never thought you would ever make, like does the sump pump need a back up battery, should it be in a closet. [Tweet “The energy meter for critical thinking can take a hit in a project stretching several months.”]
Reduce stress and save brain capacity by choosing a color palette right now, before your project ever starts.
I got mine from Sherwin Willams because that is where my contractor has his account and gets a volume discount. There are many books to choose from in very flexible arrangements. The color collection contained enough choices that I felt confident I could use plenty of color in my whole house project without feeling limited, while knowing every color was going to be harmonious. I constantly hear how much people love the colors of our home. I think a lot of the appeal is how well every room feels like it is part of a larger project. Don’t look online for color, below is a great example of why. I would never have picked this palette based on the colors on the screen. Go choose color swatches live and in person. Take a couple books home and see them in every light in your house.
Does choosing a palette for your project seems daunting? Are you asking, where do I begin?
Start with Pinterest or Houzz.com. Create a board called color palettes and begin pinning rooms you like the feel of. You are getting a sample of colors you like, don’t be concerned about what is in them. You want 20-30 pins that really follow your gut. Once you have a good number of pins you will find patterns emerging about what color you love and how you like to see them used. I loved the idea of white space and rooms but looking through my pins I confirmed that I am a color addict. I like walls with life and personality. Knowing what I liked saved me from making a huge mistake by following trend over heart.
Pinterest is full of great color palettes as well. You can check out my board, color palettes, as well. Once you get a good feel for colors you like you can get into the paint store. A narrow range will help make that giant wall of swatches seem less overwhelming.
Once you have a swatch book, take it everywhere.
Like a pillow? hold it up to the swatch book. Looking for curtains or shopping for towels. Pull the bad boy out and never return something because it clashes.
I wanted my island to have a wash in one of the colors from our swatch book. I was able to get my cabinet guy the color numbers while out shopping because I kept that little book with me throughout the whole project.
Recently I gave a copy of the whole swatch book to my mom because she has a canvas she wants to fill. I figured if she was inspired with colors that match my house she might have to give it to me when she is done.
Picking a color scheme will narrow the effort decision making takes. Writing down the names of your rooms on the actual book as you use colors was another way we used the swatch book to keep us organized and keep me from having to walk upstairs to see what color the bathroom was, again. Long projects will do that to you. Good luck.
