Painting is arguably the most fun part of decorating or refurbishing a house. You can put sploshes here and there and pick and mix colours that fit your preference. You also get to brush the walls! However, more than just a leisurely way to pass the time while doing something constructive, painting is a way for you to make your house interior and exterior walls look pleasant and harmonious. Nothing beats having a balanced colour set in and outside your home to calm your tired eyes and elicit envy from your neighbours and visitors alike. You can even pull off a more spacious feel with the right colour combinations and contrast. To make your painting efforts meet these visual objectives, you need to consider the following factors when painting your house.
Contrasting colours to emphasize the borders
If you have an antique door, window casing, or baseboard made of authentic hardwood, these features already stand out on their own. However, to make these objects stand out smoothly from the walls, you need to paint the border areas around these objects in a colour that complements yet contrasts the wall. Examples of contrast and complement colour combinations include painting the door frame, window casing, or baseboard cap red if your walls are green.
Another option is to try different shades of the same colour to provide contrast and complement. For example, if your walls were green, then you can use a darker shade of green such as olive green for your door’s frame. The wooden texture and colour of your door and baseboard provide the centre of attention that doesn’t stick out too much. The contrasts of colour would make you feel that you have stored enough material in your room.
When to use a matching colour for the doors and walls
In cases where your room is not empty, and you have fixtures, paintings, and furniture, you don’t need to bring out much contrast from your windows, baseboards, and doors. Two or more colours can add to the feeling of clutter that objects existing in your room already give. To make the room feel spacious, you can paint your inner door the same colour as your walls. There’s also the option of using two separate sets of paint with a different sheen or slickness. If you decide to let your door stand out regardless of the entire room following a single colour scheme, you always have an alternate option to work with without re-doing the paint.
Note that you have to mind the colour of the other side of the door. When you open your door, its other side would also be visible. Thus, if you’re going to push for a single-colour scheme for a room, you might as well adopt it for the whole house for the sake of design consistency.
Guidelines for exterior door paint
As for how your inner doors should match with the colours of the walls, so should your house’s doors match with the exterior. However, the exterior environment not only includes the colour of your house’s wall but its immediate surroundings, such as a front lawn, nearby garage, or rocky pathway. Cyan walls would match a red door frame very well and would also complement the greenery that surrounds your home. Cream-coloured walls and dark red frames would work best in emphasizing the nature side of your rocks and pathways.
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