When decorating one of the most popular rooms in the house, you might wonder which are the best colors for your family room. There are three basic categories into which most paint colors fall: neutral, warm and cool tones. Decide which shade is right for your family room.
Create a Backdrop With Neutrals
Light, neutral wall colors are safe; they match any type of furniture or decor and make a small room look larger. They help to improve the resale value of your home, because not everyone can appreciate a dark plum family room. Take care in selecting a neutral shade; there are many more variations of white, tan and gray than you might imagine. According to Breslow.com, the top selling family room paint colors by Benjamin Moore include Lenox Tan, Barely Beige and Stone House.
Good for Pairing
To choose the right neutral for your room, begin by looking at your woodwork and furnishings. While neutrals do work with anything, some neutrals pair better with warm and cool colors. Look for a neutral that possess an undertone of the colors in the rest of the room. Some neutrals that work well on the walls of a family room include:
Warm Paint Colors
The family room is often the hub for many activities including those of the electronic nature such as watching TV, playing video games or using a computer, as well as real-life rambunctiousness. Family rooms also double as home offices, work-out spaces and guest rooms. With all these different uses, there are often many family members in the space at the same time. If you want to create a warm, inviting atmosphere that embraces the active energy of the space, consider choosing a warm paint color.
Add Dynamic Colors
Warm paint colors look exactly as they sound: yellows, reds, oranges and browns give you that warm and fuzzy feeling. However, these colors are dynamic, so the rest of your decor scheme may have to follow suit (or become more neutral to avoid a stimulation overload). Also keep in mind that dark, warm colors can make small spaces feel even smaller; lighter warm shades like pale yellow can make a room feel sunny and open. Warm, rich red is always a classic choice.
Warm colors can sometimes be overwhelming; to make sure your color ties into your family room design without overpowering it, try finding an accent color in your furnishings and pulling it for the walls. Warm colors also work well if your furnishings are neutral or dark in tone, because they brighten up the room, such as a burnt sienna wall behind a chocolate brown coach.
Warm colors that work well in family rooms include:
Cool Paint Colors
If you want your family room to be a little more low-key, opt for a cool paint color. Shades like blue, green or gray create a tranquil, soothing atmosphere. It will help the kids to settle down and do their homework, or at least it will make the room feel more conducive to such quiet activities. For those who don't have children and use the family room as a place to gather, read and relax, cool colors definitely make sense. Cool colors also recede from the eye and make the space feel more expansive; use them in smaller family rooms to help open up the room.
Balanced Colors
Cool colors make an excellent foil against stronger furnishings and darker spaces. This is true of both darker cool tones and lighter ones; always balance your cool tones with warmer ones in the room to ensure your room doesn't feel too cold and uninviting. Match the shade of your cool-toned paint choices to the same saturation as the rest of your furnishings to help make a purposeful design.
Cool colors that work beautifully in family rooms include:
Choosing the Right Color
Now that you have an idea of whether you want to go neutral or stick to the warm or cool side of the color palette, it's time to narrow your focus to a few specific paint colors.
- Visit a paint store and pick up some paint swatches to help narrow down your decision.
- Hold the swatches against existing furnishings. Look for accent colors, complementary and tertiary colors that may work in the room.
- Select two or three colors and purchase paint samples of each one.
- Paint a small patch on each of the walls of your family room, and view them in all lights. Take into consideration how they coordinate with your existing furniture, flooring and accessories.
Don't rush yourself on the decision. Once you've selected your favorite out of the family room paint colors, commit and get those paint brushes ready.
Find Your Perfect Color
Using color tone is an excellent way to help narrow down the choices of what paint color is right for your family room. Remember that there are warm and cool shades of nearly every color, including neutrals. Take your time and consider both the warm and cool versions of the same color as you decide. In time, you'll find the perfect color for your room.
