How to Correct Color Mistakes With Paint

When you go to the paint store to select a new color for your kitchen or family room, your task can prove to be a difficult and frustrating one. Colors on the sample cards in the store can look very different when painted on your walls. That's why paint manufacturers have developed sample jars; so you can test a patch of the color at home in your lighting and against the furniture, flooring and other aspects of your room. But if even if you've made a mistake and painted it all over your walls, paint color mistakes can be corrected.
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<br>1. If the color is too bright and bold
<br>Dramatically bold colors like orange and bright blue for one or two walls in a room are all the rage and you may have jumped on the trendy color bandwagon only to find that it looks way too loud. This is especially true if your other walls are stark white; there's just too much contrast. Tone it down by painting the white walls in a neutral that balances the bold color, such as gray to balance blue or cinnamon brown to balance orange.
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<br>2. If there's an unpleasant surprise
<br>If you start painting a color on the walls and it looks wrong, return the can to the store and ask them to mix in a pigment that will correct the color to a shade that is more in harmony with your room. Bring along a fabric swatch or accessory that contains the shade you are trying to match.
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<br>3. If the color is brash or dull
<br>Sometimes the color range of the paint is right on but it just looks too dull or too brash on your walls. The problem could be the lighting in your room: Switching from florescent to soft incandescent bulbs could make all the difference. A dimmer switch might help as well.
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<br>4. If the color clashes with your furnishings
<br>If what you thought would be a color agreement looks more like a color clash, painting out the trim and other features like wall cabinets or crown molding can make a big difference in the impact and interplay of colors in a room. For example, some shades of stain used on woodwork can make a shade of yellow on the walls look more like orange. Painting the woodwork white will neutralize that effect. You can also correct color by changing the accents in the room: To tone down that same shade of yellow on the walls, add orange and red in accents; use purple or green if you want to make the yellow pop.
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<br>5. If the color is just too bright
<br>Color washing with a glaze that is a few shades lighter than the existing wall color will help diffuse the brightness. Create a soft pattern by dipping a slightly damp sponge or rag in the glaze and dabbing it on the wall to soften contrast between the base color and the glaze. This technique will also add dramatic texture to your walls.
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<br>About the Author: After acting as a contributing editor for http://www.americanartisanart.com/, Angela Glancy, an award winning designer in her own right offers tips on displaying <a target="_new" href="http://www.americanartisanart.com/wall-art-sculptures.html" rel="nofollow">artisan metal wall sculptures</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.americanartisanart.com/copper-art-sculptures.html" rel="nofollow">copper wall art sculptures</a>.
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