Brush on some color
With the housing market in a state of flux, now may not be the ideal time to sell a home. But that shouldn’t prevent homeowners from planning for the future, taking advantage of this time to begin the cosmetic upgrades essential to getting the best appraisal or price possible. Whether selling or refinancing, the work put in today most likely will pay off in the coming months.
As most of us know, when getting ready to put a property on the market, one of the most cost-effective and impressive things we can do is to paint. Realtors and others in the housing market will tell you that when choosing a paint for resale, make it neutral — the idea being that you want to appeal to the largest buyer segment that you can.
While you may love bright red as an accent wall in your living room or must have lavender in your bedroom — think again. The average home buyer will see those colors and shy away from your property. While we all know that paint is easy to change, when someone is looking to buy a new home, they really don’t want to do any work. For the most part, they want a move-in-ready place.
Now, having said that, colors that are hot for this year are not what one would call neutrals. So what are they?
This season reveals two bold new colors that are not for the faint of heart. Pantone, one of the world leaders in selecting the hottest colors, has chosen Blue Iris 18-3943 tcx as the color of 2008. If blue is too bold, ICI Paints’ Dulux has chosen a yellow, Sunshine Surprise, paired with Namadji, Antique White, Chalk and Hot Lips at the annual Dulux Colour Awards. Yellow is said to be both inspirational and intellectual.
Although these colors are very striking and may be appealing for an accent wall or two, more than likely they will not make their way into the most commonly selected paint colors. Neutrals still reign in that arena.
So when it comes to painting, where do you begin? The most common place to begin a painting project is in the paint section of a local home-improvement store. While these chains offer affordable selections, the vast array of selections can become so overwhelming that the task becomes daunting. With more than 200 colors to choose from, the easiest and possibly the best place to start is to select a ceiling paint. Behr has made this proposition very easy with a paint named Ceiling White. One surface down and only four to go.
But painting a room involves more than just the ceiling and walls. There are also molding, door and furniture colors to consider.
Accent paints for trim, furniture and doors can make or break a room, according to Kevin Sharkey with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
“For us, black (French Bulldog MS025) is number one, and I think it’s because it shows off other colors so well. People are probably using it for trim or for painting furniture. On the Big Island of Hawaii, there’s an active volcano you can explore. I think of this as lava black, rich and earthy. I see it with khaki or tang … great with gray … beautiful with chartreuse and powder blue.”
Behr claims Swiss Coffee 1812 to be its largest seller.
“You know how Navajo White was big in the 1970s? Now it’s Swiss Coffee — lighter, more airy, an off-white with subtle taupe undertones. It’s really popular for trim because it has that little bit of color, which means it blends easily with colored walls. Bright white can be too intense. This is so much better alongside the muted, more sophisticated shades, ” comments Quinn Larson of Behr.
When the time does come to have a little fun and add some color, no paint looks better than a rich Ralph Lauren. Cottonwood TH29 is a best seller for ICI Paints’ Ralph Lauren brand this year. Other favorites include Sisal, Broom and Khaki.
Be cautious if you are adventurous enough to try one of the Ralph Lauren textures or painting styles. There are numerous Web sites that speak to the complexity and difficulty of these techniques. They are fun and may add a lot of character to a space, but it is necessary to follow all directions carefully.
Clearly earth tones are still very hot and will be for a while. These trends speak to the need for tranquility and comfort inside the home. So get out your brushes and rollers and get started. Be ready when the market turns. It will just take a little effort to make a huge difference.
