Interior Painting For Some Holiday Cheer

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many holiday party hosts are turning their attention to sprucing-up their home's decor to make it feel more inviting. 

One of the biggest requests we get this time of year are for painting and decorating ideas that will quickly and inexpensively transform the interior of a customer's home before family and friends arrive.

As my wife will tell you, I'm no Martha Stewart when it comes to holiday decorating ideas, but I can tell you that interior painting is a quick and easy way to add a splash of color to your walls and change the vibe of your home.

Now, before you go slapping festive hues of brown, orange, green, and red on your walls you'll want to make sure you're choosing a color you'll be satisfied with after the holidays are over.  A little look ahead at color forecasting from the decorating world can ensure that you'll be happy with your choice into the new year.

Here are some thoughts on color trends from the major paint manufacturers that can help you change your home's decor in as little as a weekend so you can really WOW your party guests.

Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore has announced their 2013 Color of The Year as Lemon Sorbet, which they describe as "the perfect transitional color between the mid-tones and saturated colors seen in today's home furnishings and the softer, lighter pastels which are emerging for 2013."

If you're not into yellow you can also check out some of their color palettes that are trending for 2013 including:

New Traditional - "Traditional gets a new twist with beautiful bold colors, painted furniture, and a geometric pattern on the ceiling."

Artisan - "Warm, inviting colors are used to define spaces, highlight architectural elements, and create harmony."

Urbanite - "[Your home will be] transformed with unexpected combinations of rich, saturated colors that blend sophistication with comfort."

Coastal - "Create a light, relaxing atmosphere."

Sherwin-Williams

According to Sherwin-Williams' color forecast, the two words they use to describe the color trends in 2013 are "dynamic" and "opposite".  And the "Sherwin-Williams Colormix™ 2013 puts today’s color mood under the microscope to reveal its dueling influences."

These popular palettes include:

Midnight Mystery - "The colors are moody, the vibe is masculine and the aesthetic is both Victorian and futuristic."

Honed Vitality - "The colors are chalky and earthy, the materials raw and organic, the finishes matte."

Vintage Moxie - "The pastels are a bit bolder, including semi-precious gem tones like citrine, peridot and amethyst, set off by crisp neutrals."

High Voltage - "Electronics, alternative rock and digital technology — plug those influences into one socket and you get a blast of high-voltage look-at-me colors."

PPG Pittsburgh Paints/Porter Paints

PPG says that "all the coming trends have one thing in common – individual expression that is very well articulated.  Consumers are more at ease with color, mixing and matching, craving the complex patterns and color blocking.  Look for bright colors and unexpected places to use it!"

Their new color palettes include:

Every Day Hero - "Favors a low-key, functional aesthetic. Highlighting designs and products that simply work well with no added fuss or embellishment"

Elusion - "Highlights a playful and fantastical design ideal, like a fairy tale environment for grown-ups. The perfect escape from reality, this is a theme that balances dark and dramatic designs, melding delicate and playful forms."

Discreet Luxury - "Is a classic twist on contemporary design that embraces both a masculine and feminine aesthetic. Relying heavily on texture, surface design, and material to convey craftsmanship, this theme emphasizes the importance of integrity in design."

Artful Expression - "This deeply expressive theme embodies a live-out-loud spirit, but also celebrates a deep, emotional connection to tradition and multi-culturalism. Playful yet sophisticated, this theme is a touch bohemian and is loaded with intense hues, graphic patterns, and bold and dynamic palettes and prints."

Modern Is Tech - "Minimal yet fashionable, with the added appeal of futuristic-looking technology, Modernist Tech rejects any outdated aspects of daily life and instead seeks to identify a sleek new vision for living."

If you're curious to see how a dramatic color change will look before making the commitment, check out our Color Help page where you can play some cool games with color or virtually paint a room in your home.

If you're short on time or looking for some addtional help with interior painting ideas from the pro's, click on the button below to check out the Color Consultation options we offer.

P.S.  A common concern about having interior painting done this time of year is that you can't exactly open your windows and air out the house, so what if the lingering paint odor wrecks the party?  Fear not...because paint technology has come a long way in recent years.

Now there are lots of great low-odor options available so all that your guests will smell is your home cookin' and not drying paint.

Photo by: Robert S. Donovan / CC BY 4.0