Buying either a new or previously owned property has been part of the American Dream for decades. Homeownership provides those with a roof over their head, a chance to build wealth in the form of equity and a canvas for personal expression. One of the best things about owning a home is decorating and filling your space with pleasing colors, finishes and personal touches.
Whether you are interested in decorating to sell your property or you are a new homeowner wanting to make your mark, painting is one of the best ways to do so. For sellers, painting is an extremely cost effective way to spruce up your home, add curb appeal and make your home more inviting to prospective buyers. Depending on the brand of paint selected, a gallon of paint will run $15 to $50 per gallon and with a little elbow grease, both novices and those with painting skills can assist in the application. Those opting to paint their homes in order to sell the property are advised to choose colors as opposed to white as the right colors have the power to make people feel happy. That emotion is the best one to illicit when selling a home and may encourage prospective buyers to ensure that their mortgages are good to go. Muted colors are best for those who want to sell their homes as buyers can more easily picture themselves in a space that is not overwhelmed by color, plus personal color choices like lime green or fuchsia may not please the pallet of every potential shopper.
If however, you are decorating just to please your own palate, nearly anything can go and you can opt to personally benefit from the psychology associated with specific hues.
Best Bedroom Color: Blue
Blue is a favorite color chosen by many and because of the options ranging from baby, cornflower and even dusk, blue appeals to a large range of tastes. Blue is a color also associated with tranquility, peace and contentment. Some studies have indicated that blue can lower blood pressure, slow respiration and heart rate, as sitting in a room painted within that hue can make people feel more quite and calm. The color is used in many hospital nurseries for that reason and can be used in a bedroom to help produce an environment conducive to a great night's sleep.
Best Kitchen Color: Brown
Kitchens and bathrooms are two areas most looked at by potential homebuyers. As any homeowner knows, you will spend plenty of time in those two spaces. Any value driven kitchen remodeling jobs should include a fresh coat of paint to spruce up the room for pennies on the dollar, and colors associated with food items such as cocoa brown, celery green or even wheat hued beige will all feel natural in a kitchen space.
Brown, of any shade, is considered to be neutral and will work with any number of decorating schemes. Not only will a rich, chocolate brown be the perfect backdrop for mixing in bolder color choices like baby blues, organic greens, whites and blacks, but dark colored walls can hide kitchen dirt such as food splatters, more easily than lighter color wall paint. Additionally, brown is the color most associated with stability and reliability and a kitchen is the perfect place for setting that tone.
Best Bathroom Color: Green
Most bathrooms tend to be small and if used improperly any bright and bold colors may overwhelm the space. When it comes to bathrooms, the right shade of green can do wonders. Green comes in a large variety of hues and can compliment a large range of materials such as granite, subway tile and the white porcelain standard in most bathrooms. Green is a color associated with refreshment and is known to be one of the most soothing colors for the eye. Studies regarding the color green have proven that the right shade of green can increases well-being, calmness and restful emotions and a bathroom is a perfect place to tap into the power of green.
Ultimately, when it comes to house paint, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While those who have made the move from renting to buying may be gung-ho on fully expressing themselves by covering their home interiors with reds, blacks and hot pinks, there are physiological elements surrounding each color that should be pondered before the work begins.
