"If you hear a voice within you saying, 'You are not a painter,' then by all means paint... and that voice will be silenced".
Vincent van Gogh
One of the easiest and least expensive things you can do to make your home attractive to potential buyers is to give your rooms a fresh coat of paint. If you have painted within the last couple of years, and the colors are fairly neutral, then you can probably get away with some touch-ups here and there. If you have wallpaper that is busy or in poor condition, very vivid paint colors, or a palette that is dated, you may want to think about a fresh coat of paint. When you put your house on the market the goal is to make it as broadly appealing as possible. This is achieved with neutral colors. When choosing colors, consider the following:
White vs. Color
White is not the ideal neutral color in most cases. White tends to be cold, harsh, and not very inviting as a wall color. It sometimes works well as a trim or woodwork color providing contrast to walls with more intense colors. Shades of white worthy of consideration:
· Benjamin Moore White Dove - a warm white. not too gray, not too yellow
· Pratt & Lambert Designer White - clean & bright white
· Behr Swiss Coffee - taupe undertones- blends well with muted wall colors
Warm vs. Cool Neutrals for Walls
Neutrals like beige or tan have either warm or cool undertones. Warmer colors stimulate the senses (and the appetite) so they are best used in the kitchen and the main 'social' areas of the house. Cool colors like blues, greens and grays tend to soothe and relax. They work well in bedrooms and bathrooms.
Recommended warm neutrals:
Benjamin Moore Lenox tan – a mid-tone neutral from the Pottery Barn collection
· Restoration Hardware Saffron – a warm buttery beige
Recommended cool neutrals:
· Restoration Hardware Cappuccino - a cool taupe
· Benjamin Moore Classic Gray - a creamy gray, fresh and airy
· Benjamin Moore Mesquite - a light mossy gray-green
· Benjamin Moore Atmospheric - a darker gray blue from the Pottery Barn collection
A Trick of the Trade
Something I have often done is to add a little of the wall color to the white ceiling and trim paint. This subtle shift of color adds coherence to the color scheme of the room by reducing the stark contrast of white paint. Experiment to determine just how much color to add for the desired effect.
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