When looking to add value to your home few things have a better return on investment than a fresh coat of paint and its a project most DIYers can tackle in an afternoon. The decision to paint is a fairly easy one and the process of actually painting the room is not that difficult either. The hard part is choosing what color you want to use! If you have ever been shopping for paint you realize that the possibilities are virtually endless and trying to decide between two shades of blue that are virtually identical is enough to drive anyone crazy. Thankfully with all of the “apps” that run our lives there are a few tools that make finding a the right color a piece of cake. Below are answers to the 3 questions you are most likely to have when considering a paint project. What color to pick, what will it look like, and how much do I need.
What Color To Paint
Most paint companies have their own paint names and numbers for their colors that can only add to the confusion. Fortunately most of these companies also have sites that make finding these colors a snap, literally. Here are a few that I found extremely easy to use.
No downloads or registration required and the mobile site is very user friendly. The site gives you the option to upload your picture or snap one of your own. The site then picks out the prominent colors in the picture and gives you the “eye dropper” to select any color from any specific spot on the picture giving you the paint color, paint number and some of the major retail outlets you can expect to find that color at.
Sherwin Williams has a app called Color Snap and it is available on android and apple devices as well as through your web browser. The app allows users to upload their own pictures and select the colors from specific points on the picture using the “eye dropper” tool. As with the Valspar color tool a Sherwin-Williams color name and number are generated making it easy to find when you head to the store.
Another simple to use website that will let you upload your own photo and select colors off of it. No registration or download required making it even quicker to use.
What Will It Look Like on MY Wall
Now if you have your color list narrowed down and can’t make a decision based on a small 1×1 color swatch then these next tools are just what you are looking for. Being able to see the paint on the wall is a big deal for me and I have a feeling I’m not alone. Going down to the store, getting a sample, painting a small section, then repeating the process to see how it looks hardly seems like an efficient solution. Again technology has us covered.
From here the website for Lowes pretty much has you covered. The website makes it very easy to upload your own picture and get started and because they are one of the largest home improvement stores in the country they have several paint brands to choose from. Once you upload your picture simply mark off your boundaries with “virtual tape”, enter your paint color that you found earlier and check out the results.
How Much Will I Need
Now that you have your color selected and the full room visual you needed its time to answer the final question, how much to get. The Lowes website has you covered here too. The paint calculator tool takes all of the guesswork out and lets you know exactly how much to buy in gallons and quarts based on how many coats you are planning on applying. Simply enter your dimensions, click calculate and your ready to head to the store with all information you need.
Click here for more home tips and check out what’s for sale in the Lake Region here.
Chris Wahl
Realtor
Reign Realty
701-662-2800
Email me directly at [email protected]
This entire post absolutely ROCKS! Thank you for all the hard work you put into it. It really shows.