The best paint finish and colors for your living room will guide you on how to choose the right paint finish and color that spice up your room. The living space is considered to be the main living area of the home, this is where your friends and family congregate, it makes a first impression, and it gives visitors an idea of how your complete family lives. This is why, it is nice to have a living space that not only displays elegance but also is the best place to be in. The hue of your walls will play a big role to have that kind of living space you want. As a result, it is essential to choose the right color for your living room as it will reflect your design style, personality and most of all have how it effects how you and your loved ones feel.
Although the paint colors and paint finishes to use is totally dependent on your preference and personal style, neutral colors such as beige, gray and white with either, satin, eggshell and matte finish are the best choices for your living room walls.
One of the most basic yet crucial elements of interior design is choosing the right combination of colors. It may appear simple but it is actually the most challenging component of design aspects. However, if you’re able to choose the right color paint, painting is the easy way to update the look of any space. Fortunately, the basic information that you need to know on how to choose the perfect color is readily available on the internet. I will be sharing with you the guidelines on how to choose the best colors for your living area to create a cozy and relaxing space for the entire family.
What Various Kind Of Paint Finishes Are There?
Learning about how to pick the right kind of sheen for each type of room can make a huge difference because it can make your space cleaner. The higher the gloss or sheen, the longer the paint will last and it’s much easier to clean. However, it’s more likely to show dirt easily. Therefore, different parts of the home need different types of sheen that will not only improve the aesthetic of your space but also will last and be easy to clean. The following are the various types of paint sheen available on the market:
High Gloss Finish
This is the type of sheen with higher sheen that is ideal for cabinets, trim and any space that you would want to make a statement such as doors, heavy-traffic kitchens and hallways. It is ideal for a windowless room, small spaces or a room with a poor source of natural light like powder rooms since high gloss finishes reflect a good amount of light. However, like pearl paint, this sort of paint sheen is best left to professionals because it requires meticulous preparation and application. Also keep in mind that glossy or surfaces with a glossy look show imperfections more easily. Actually, touching up is almost impossible without repainting the entire area and because of that, a high-gloss finish is not recommended for any area or room that will be subjected to a lot of wear and tear.
Pearl Finish
This paint has a medium sheen and is very long-lasting. A pearl sheen gives trim dimension and is simple to clean, which makes them perfect for a high-traffic areas which makes it ideal for walls, cabinets, trim and doors. This sort of finish provides good mildew protection, if you reside in a location with a lot of humidity. But, if you are not a skilled painter and are susceptible to making a variety of painting mistakes, keep in mind that the shine of pearl finish is more likely to display paint imperfections and lap traces or marks.
Semi-Gloss Sheen
A semi-gloss finish adds dimension to baseboards, trim, and doors and helps to accentuate any architectural details of your space. This type of sheen has a hard-wearing surface, is stain-resistant, and more reflective compared with paint with a lower sheen, making it simple to maintain and clean. It’s long-lasting while also adding a wonderful gleam to the entryway. Aside from that, it conceals and hides flaws nicer than a high-gloss finish.
Flat Finish
Paint with a flat finish does not reflect light and has no sheen. As a result of the lack of reflection, it conceals defects better than any other kind of finish, rarely shows dirt and provides a smooth looking surface. Flat finish is always utilized for ceilings and is the best choice for drywall because it offers a consistent matte look allowing fabric, furniture and accessories to shine.
Satin Finish
This type of finish has a low sheen but it definitely has a glossier surface than eggshell and reflects more light, so any flaws will be more visible. It has a velvety feel to it and just like the high gloss finish, it requires meticulous preparation and application or it will show any paint imperfections. However, surfaces with satin finish are extremely easy to wipe off the dirt, making it a popular choice for foyers, corridors, children’s rooms, living area and any high-traffic area.
Eggshell Finish
Eggshell has a duller sheen than satin and is similar to the matte or flat finish found in many emulsions. Just like satin finish, eggshell finish is simple to maintain and clean. Most of the paint professionals and interior designers prefer to use this kind of sheen for all walls because it is easier to clean which makes it ideal for any high traffic spaces such as kitchens, dining rooms, living space, family rooms and alike.
Matte Finish
If you want a finish that is good at hiding imperfections and brushstroke flaws, matte sheen is for you. It is the type of finish that you can easily touch up and does not need to have the whole wall repainted which makes it the best finish for large walls and therefore the best choice for your living area over a satin paint finish. However, walls with matte finish walls are harder to clean and you need to clean the spillage or any type of mess right away to prevent your wall from staining.
What Is The Best Paint Finish For Living Room Walls?
Based on the different kinds of paint sheen, the following paint finishes are your choices:
Satin Finish
This kind of sheen for living rooms is great especially if you have kids roaming around the house because it is easy to clean and has high durability. However, it requires good preparation and application, reveals painting imperfections and touch-ups can be difficult.
Eggshell Finish
The eggshell sheen is an excellent finish for gathering spaces like your living space because it does not easily get a lot of bumps and scuffs because it hides defects nicely. It is also easy to clean and most paint professionals recommend this kind of finishes for almost all walls.
Matte Finish
This is the right finish for you if you have not yet perfected your painting skills because it can hide brushstroke flaws and texture imperfections. It is also the paint finish that where you will not need to repaint the entire wall if your wall needs some touch-up which makes it more ideal for living space but it is harder to clean. Therefore, matte finish is a better choice for your living space if you are personally doing the painting job and you do not have kids that can mess up your space.
Understanding The Living Room Color Scheme
A color scheme is a collection of colors that work well together to create a unified appearance. It’s critical to maintain a consistent aesthetic to the rest of your entire home to ensure that one place seems connected to the others. From the front door to the restrooms, the appearance is consistent. This can be achieved by using items with direct similarity from one area to the next and picking the right color for your living room walls is one of them. To learn more about the different color schemes that most interior designer use, see 84 Beautiful Inside Front Door Paint Color Ideas.
There are a lot of factors that you need to consider when choosing paint colors for your walls such as the color of the main furniture which is your sofa or couch, your flooring and the amount of natural light coming into the room as well as the amount of artificial lights that the room has. If you are planning to change the wall color of your living area, below are some of the basic guidelines on how to test paint colors that will ensure that you match your living space color scheme:
Utilize a good size painted poster board instead of a paint swatch
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Use poster board that is at least 5 ft x 5 ft or bigger to test the color instead of a small paint swatch. Make sure there are two coats of paint on the poster board, this will show the undertones clearly. Compare all your color options to find your favorite.
Test your paint colors at daylight and at different times of the day
Natural light is a great tool to use when you want to examine the undertones of your paint colors. If the paint color looks good in natural light, then it will look even better in artificial light. To double check if this is the color that you really want for your living room walls, you need to test the colors at different times of the day because light variation can also change the color as well.
Move the painted poster board in the entire living space
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The color or fabric of your couch or sofa, flooring, artwork and other home accessories should be the elements to consider when you are planning to repaint your living room walls. Compare the paint color next to these elements to make sure that the paint color of your wall compliments or blends well to create a consistent and cohesive look. If you have wood furniture or wood flooring with a rich color or that leans toward one color such as red or cherry wood, when paired to certain colors this may make the surface look dingy and dirty. To avoid this from happening, give yourself time to make a decision and compare the painted poster board next to your flooring, wood furniture, couch and other home decor. By doing this, you will be ensured that you will end with a color that will bring balance and a coherent theme to the entire space.
What Is The Best Color For Your Living Room?
The best paint color for your living room is a color that will work well with the amount of natural light coming into the room that will complement your couches, sofas, home decor and your room flooring. Typically, this is a color under a neutral color category because it appears to be colorless since they don’t appear on the color wheel. As a result, neutral colors have become popular living room colors as they complement rather than compete with primary and secondary colors. Below are the neutral best colors for your space:
Beige – Paint color that is warm and light
Best Selling Sherwin Williams Beige Color Paints:
- Nomadic Desert
- Latte
- Kilim Beige (great choice as it is the safest color beige)
Gray – Warm grays are considered a new beige
Gray can also be challenging to work with because it tends to look blue and cold. It is preferable to choose colors towards gray with warm tones.
- Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray is my personal favorite as it is has the most neutral undertones.
- Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige is great gray color option because it works well with almost any color scheme.
- Benjamin Moore Gray Owl with cool undertones – Gives off a relaxing and cool vibe which makes any space look crisp and contemporary.
White – White walls equals clean and fresh
White color is a color that never goes out of style but it will tend to make your space look clinical. However, white walls can be a good match with living room that have architectural features such as wood beam ceilings, hardwood floors, reclaimed brick walls and alike.
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster and Benjamin Moore Simply White are white colors to go for.
- Sherwin Williams Eider White is an off white with a dash of warm grey undertone that causes it to cast a bit of the color purple or pink in bright light. However, it’s a gentle and pleasant off-white color in general that gives coziness and warmth to any area.
Living Room Paint Ideas: Other Options
Benjamin Moore – Black Satin 2131-10
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In design, black is often considered an elegant and chic color. This black satin by Benjamin Moore is one of the best accent colors for living room walls as it is soft but gives enough drama to any space and definitely will grab attention because the dark color wall will highlight the other elements in the space
Benjamin Moore – Gentleman’s Gray
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The gentleman’s gray is actually not gray in color, it is more of a darker shade of blue that is almost like a navy blue color. Its bold color will surely add an interesting texture to any space especially when paired with a pure white color.
Sherwin Williams- Naval SW 6244
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This is a dark blue color that is another great option for accent walls. If your living space has a good source of both natural and artificial lighting and you want to make a statement this hale navy color is for you. However, you need to accessorize the space with equal boldness to balance the design. The best colors that works well with this hale navy are orange, yellow, red and green.
Benjamin Moore – Wythe Blue HC-1430
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This is an easygoing blue-green with a tinge of gray. If your space has a good source of natural light and prefer not to use white or other pale shades as they tend to get washed out, this wythe blue color is a great option. It works well with brown, white, silver gray and orange colors.
Sherwin Williams – Pewter Green SW 6208
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The color Laurel Woods is a rich, earthy green with a grey undertone. It has a darker shade of green but nonetheless is still appealing to most people.
Sherwin Williams – Carvern Glay SW7701
If you live in a coastal area or you want to achieve a living area with a beach like feel, this carvern clay paint color will do the trick for you. This will transform your space into a serene coastal atmosphere.
