You may have noticed that Project Refresh stalled out before it got rolling along at full speed. Well, at least that’s how it appears on my blog. In my home, and in my head, it’s a slightly different story. See, in the weeks since I finished covering my bench (Project Refresh Project #1), I have been on a quest to come up with a new color palette for my home.

I started by pinning color palettes on Pinterest on my Home Decorating Ideas board and scrolling through old pins that I’ve been collecting for several years. Browsing through this board makes it pretty clear what I like: a neutral foundation with pops of aquas, greens and yellows.

As helpful as this was, I was still struggling to to translate my Pinterest inspiration into specific paint colors. So I turned to a friend for help. She suggested browsing through magazines. How old school, right? But it was oh so helpful!

I collected all of my remaining Better Homes and Gardens magazines, and started flipping and tearing. I came across many color palette ideas, as well as many tips for selecting colors for your home. One of my favorite tips was to create an inspiration board. I loved this idea because it would allow me to collect all of my favorite ideas into one visual collection, and add in paint chips, flooring samples and fabric as well. 

I happened to have an unused cork board, so after editing my clippings, I grabbed some scissors, thumbtacks, paint swatches, hardwood floor samples, and my cork board, and crafted an old-school pin board. Want to take a peek? Here it is:

how-to-choose-paint-colors

This is the general look and feel I’d like to go for in my kitchen and great room. In my lower level, I’d like to go with some even brighter pops of color (deeper blues and add in some red as well.)

My next step will be to purchase paint samples, and paint some swatches right on the wall. If you’ve never tried this before, it’s a terrific way to see your paint colors in a variety of lighting situations so you’re sure to select a color you’ll love anytime of day.

After that, I’ll just have to figure out what to paint first, upstairs or downstairs. I’ll keep you posted on my selections and progress.

What is your process for selecting paint colors? Do you have any tips to share? I’d love to hear from you!

Happy refreshing!

blue Aby