How to Choose Paint for a Room With Cream Colored Couches

Choosing interior paint colors can inspire paralyzing pressure. You know you'll have to live with your choices for a while. If you choose a color that does not work for you — visually or practically — you'll have to endure the time and expense of selecting another color and doing the whole job over. Consequently, it is wise to make deliberate work of the color choice process. When certain design elements, such as furnishings or window coverings, are already in place, your anxiety might be reduced. Choosing paint for a room with cream colored couches requires a series of steps.

Online paint color selection tool
Paint color swatches

Instructions

- 1
  
  Choosing off-white walls with dramatic accents is an option.
  
  Look at the uses for the room. If, for example, the room is intended largely for family recreation, energetic paint colors might be your choice. If the room is meant to inspire contemplation or meditation, subdued shades of blue, beige or off-white would be appropriate. If the room is to be used largely for entertaining guests, consider painting walls absolute white for dramatic effect. Three neutral walls with a vivid accent wall of eggplant or teal is another option.
- 2
  Decide whether to go for color harmony or contrast. For some nonprofessional decorators, it's just easier to stick to analogous colors — that is, colors that are closely related, or side by side on the color wheel — in room design. For a cream colored couch, the natural choice would be cream colored walls. To offer the eye some variety, choose a slightly deeper or paler shade of cream for the walls. Elements such as throw rugs, pillows or decorative objects might provide color contrast.
  
  Alternatively, you can choose to use colors such as blue, green or deep beige for the walls. Another option would be to paint three walls cream and elect a bolder gold or maroon choice for the fourth wall.
- 3
  Explore your choices via an online paint color selection tool. Upload a photo of your room with the couch in it or choose a floor plan from the tool. Drag and drop onto the couch in the tool illustration the color of your couch. Then experiment with a range of color tints and families for the wall color. Drag and drop analogous or complementary colors. Try out absolutes. Let your family in on the process to discover choices you might not have considered. Take full advantage of online tools.
- 4
  Get paint chips in the colors of your primary choices. For example, if you are considering cream color for the walls, go to a paint, decorating or home improvement retailer and ask for off-white paint chips. Collect chips from different paint manufacturers.
- 5
  Narrow your selection. Review the paint chip colors until you have winnowed the selection to two or three shades. Hold the chips up to the wall to envision how the color would look. Or place the chips on the sofa to see how well the paint chip shades harmonize with it. Take your time with this process.
- 6
  Try out the colors. "Real Simple" suggests buying a small can of a chosen color and painting a piece of foam board measuring 2 feet by 2 feet and then placing the board against the wall to see how it looks. Do this for each of your choices. You can also just paint a small section of the wall in each of the colors. Move the sofa close to the wall to gauge the effect.
- 7
  Make a final decision. Consult other family members, or even friends, as to which of your final three shades is best. Run your choices past a designer or decorator if you can afford it. Make a selection and then sleep on it. Let go of the process for a few weeks and then come back to it with fresh eyes. Imagine you and your family living with the color for a number of years. Finally, decide on one color for the walls.

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