Paint Colors for Home Staging

Friday, April 01, 2011

by Teri Danahey & Daniel Fevre

PAINT COLORS FOR HOME STAGING

By: Teri Danahey, ASP/REALTOR®

Daniel Fevre REALTOR®

PRUDENTIAL NEW JERSEY PROPERTIES

One of the best things a homeowner can do in a remodeling project is to paint the walls in a current color. Not only does it freshen the appearance of walls but it updates the entire space for about the same money as a new throw pillow!

It’s no wonder then that home stagers look carefully at the wall colors and condition when staging a home for sale. Vivid red dining rooms, princess pink and marine blue kids’ rooms are risky choices when appealing to future buyers. Home Stagers will strongly suggest that bold colors be changed to popular, but neutral hues. In the process, rooms frequently look larger when walls don’t jump forward with strong color.

Wall Preparation

Professional painters spend 80% of the time preparing the walls for painting and 20% of the time applying the paint which is why professional jobs look so good. Applying primer paint (www.Kilz.com) over a vivid color will assure even coverage and color true to the paint sample.

Finish Choices

Most interior walls look best with a flat paint finish. In addition, flat finish paint can disguise small wall imperfections. A flat finish in a high quality paint is more washable than in past years making it an acceptable choice even for kid’s rooms and high traffic areas.

Woodwork, on the other hand, looks best with a glossier finish either semi-gloss in more formal areas or high gloss.

Low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint is an eco-friendly choice that is much appreciated by buyers today to reduce the indoor air pollution and can be a “green” selling feature.

Planning the Color Pallet

Interesting woodwork such as crown or base molding, built-ins, door and window frames or architectural room details deserve to be highlighted but it doesn’t have to be a high contrast to get those elements noticed. White remains the “go to” color for woodwork and ceilings because it is classic and crisp. If the wall color is a muted neutral, however, the ceiling and woodwork could be white toned down with 15% of the primary wall color to give a softer, more cohesive look. If there is a natural accent wall such as surrounding a fireplace, for example, some drama could be created with a darker version of the primary wall color. Never paint ceilings, crown or base molding or door and window frames a darker color than the walls when staging a home for sale.

Fail-Proof Colors for Home Staging

Here is a list of the most popular, neutral paint colors from two paint leaders.

Benjamin Moore – check out the Pottery Barn Colors and the giant samples available from Benjamin Moore dealers. http://www.BenjaminMoore.com

Color	Color Code
White Dove (OC-17)	Ready Mix
Shaker Beige	HC-45
Navajo White (OC-95)	Ready Mix
Linen White	Ready Mix
Monroe Bisque	HC-26
Putnam Ivory	HC-39
Lenox Tan	HC-44
Powell Buff	HC-35
Bleeker Beige	HC-80
Manchester Tan	HC-81
Bone White	Ready Mix
Chestertown Buff	HC-9
Cloud White (967)	OC-130
Wilmington Tan	HC-34
Atrium White	Ready Mix
Concord Ivory	HC-12
Desert Tan	2153-50
Shelburne Buff	HC-28
Philadelphia Cream	HC-30
Muslin (1037)	OC-12

Sherwin Williams – check out the Virtual Color visualizer tool. http://www.SherwinWilliams.com

Color	Color Code
Navajo White	SW 6126
Ivoire	SW 6127
Blonde	SW 6128
Believable Buff	SW 6120
Macadamia	SW 6142
Softer Tan	SW 6141
Moderate White	SW 6140
Wool Skein	SW 6148
Sagey	SW 6175
Liveable Green	SW 6176
Crisp Linen	SW 6378
Jersey Cream	SW 6379
Dover White	SW 6385
Napery	SW 6386
Compatible Cream	SW 6387

Things to Remember:

The paint color will look darker and/or more intense on the wall than the paint sample.
Rooms with a bright, southern exposure can handle a deeper tone than a room with a dark, northern exposure
Paint the ceiling first, then the walls
Buy high quality paint and the right tools for the job.