How to Select Paint - House Painting

Selecting paint is a very personal choice for most people. Many factors need to be considered when it comes to house painting. And with so many colors of paint available, choosing a color can feel like an impossible task.

At Cortes Painting Inc. we work with our customers in the Durham area to help them find the best paint for the job. Usually it starts with a number of questions, including:

  • What area do you want to be painted?
  • How visible is the area you want to be painted? Or, how frequently will it be seen by others?
  • How is the area used?.
  • Do you have small children or pets?

We've not yet gotten to color, but these questions can help us determine the needed quality and sheen for your Durham area home. Homeowners will often want to have a higher quality paint used in a room more frequently visited by others, like the living room, than they will want to use in a child's bedroom. We'll take that into account.

Sheen

Sheen is important when you are thinking through how to select paint. You'll want to consider how the room is used and how much you like, or don't like, shiny walls. A gloss or semi-gloss paint can work well in kitchens and play rooms as they'll be easier to wipe clean and will stand up to some "abuse." But, if you don't like shiny walls you won't like gloss or semi-gloss paint.

You may love the effect a flat or matte paint can give a room, but it's important to know that they won't be quite as easy to clean.

Most customers will settle on satin or eggshell when house painting. Some people love, and always use, one or the other. Other customers will choose one or the other depending on the room, using satins for kitchens, bathrooms and children's rooms, and eggshell for living rooms, dining rooms and adult bedrooms.

Color

That brings us to what is most often the challenging part when selecting paint for a home - choosing the color. Again, we'll ask some questions:

  • What type of style is your house, or do you want it to be? Traditional, contemporary, modern, farmhouse?
  • What is your overall preference for paint - warm, cool, other?
  • How will the area to be painted tie in to the rest of your home?
  • Do you have a focal point for the room that you want to complement?
  • Do you want to stay on trend? Would you prefer your home to look timeless, or to match up to a specific style?

These are just some of the many questions that you'll want to ask yourself when you are considering color for house painting projects. We can say that most customers end up being most happy when they factor in the feeling they are trying to create throughout the house instead of just picking a color they like for one room.

It can be easy for homeowners to fall into the current trend. This can be fine if the trend is likely to hold up or if the homeowner doesn't mind painting their home every couple of years. Other customers will be focused on keeping within the style of their home or creating a timeless look that will hold up over many years.

Ultimately, you'll want to pick a color that works for you. Unless, of course, your purpose for painting is to sell the home or rent out the space. There are many, many resources for you to look at when considering how to select paint - here are a few good ones:

  • 10 Tips for Picking Paint Colors - HGTV
  • How To Select the Right Paint and Color For Your Home - DIY
  • Choose Paint Colors with a Color Wheel - This Old House

Ceilings

Many people choose to paint their ceilings white or off-white, and that's certainly fine. But, if you are considering a renovation, or just a different look for a room, don't forget about the ceiling. Painting the ceiling can help a room look bigger, or smaller. It can add a swanky feel or a touch of formality. Either way, homeowners usually find that painting a ceiling is much more difficult than painting a wall. So, give Cortes Painting Inc. a call and we'll save you the time, as well as the aches and pains.

Other Surfaces

If you live in Durham, Chapel Hill and are looking for professional help for a house painting project, give us a call today. We'll be happy to give you a free quote for the services you are requesting.

Selecting paint or stain for the other surfaces inside or outside your home, office building or rental property can be just as challenging. While the designers on television can make creating a unified look seem easy, at Cortes Painting Inc. we know it can be much harder in reality. When you work with us, we'll rely on our knowledge, expertise and experience to help you select the paint, stain or other finish that will work best for you.

Call us today at
919-730-5654 or request a free estimate.

Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

Painting is a pretty tough job, so I decided to call the professionals - Cortes painting, of course 🙂 They are really great!

Hortencia H.

Fantastic painter and I would hire Cortes Painting Inc. again. They gave a very competitive price and did a great job painting the tall walls. The best thing about Cortes Painting Inc. is that they return calls and emails promptly, and discusses the details of the job in a way that makes sense so you know what you`re going to get.

David B.

I had a really positive experience with these painters. They were very professional all throughout the process from helping me choose the new colors and testing them to then doing the actual painting. Really good job!

Jerry F.

I have never thought that painting my house entirely, I mean both exterior and interior, can be accomplished by a single painting company. It was amazing to became a witness of the process. Cortes Painting Inc. is wonderful company with affordable prices. I highly recommend them especially if you are looking for professional painting services at decent price in Durham, NC. Keep up the good work guys.

Oliver M.

choose Cortes Painting Inc. for my painting project. They arrived on time and worked very fast and professional. Every painting contractor was polite and friendly. Definitely will call you again.

Jane S.

I found Cortes Painting Inc. 2 years ago. I needed just a small painting service, and they were very polite. Highly recommends these contractors.

A. King

I contacted Cortes Painting Inc. and they delivered me top quality painting services. They finished the job in 2 days and cleaned up everything. Highly recommends.

Mike R.

I called Cortes Painting Inc. to paint my house last year. Their team was very professional. They did a great job in very fast manner. Now my house looks best in the whole street. They cleaned everything after them. Definitely will call you again.

Kris A.

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