What Good Color Can Do For You
If you've driven around town looking for painting ideas for your condominium or building, you may have been struck by the extremes.
If you've driven around town looking for painting ideas for your condominium or building, you may have been struck by the extremes.
In one group there are rows of boring beiges, grim grays and “what's with all the whites”? Then, just when you think you might nod off behind the wheel, you're startled by an infusion of bold blue, garish green and terrible turquoise. And that's just on the trim.
Attract new residents, increase your property value
While you would never advocate that a condominium looks pretty in pink, you are struggling to create a color scheme that will appeal to most of the prospective new residents who visit your building. You know: if they don't like what they see, they will do exactly what you did: keep driving down the street.
Then, too, you realize that paint holds the potential to increase the property value of your condominium and other buildings. Paint may not be the most sizable financial investment you will make in your condominium, but it's an investment nonetheless. What the exterior painting of a condominium lacks in financial force it makes up for in execution, for painting projects often take time to complete even when weather conditions are ideal.
For all reasons, you'd prefer to choose a winning color palette you feel confident about. To achieve this positive outcome, consider five tips from paint experts who understand your wish to stand out – in a good way:
Isolate what will not be painted first
Start off by segregating those elements that will not require paint, such as the chimney, vinyl siding and windows, railings or doors. Take a good look at the colors of these elements. Then use them as a baseline as you consider a palette for the exterior painting of your condo.
Learn about the color wheel
A conscientious painting contractor will explain the basics of the color wheel – how contrasting colors complement each other and also how staying within one color family might be the best choice for the exterior painting of your condo.
Honor history
Your condominium and other buildings don't have to be “old” or reside in a historical district for you to take a bow to history. The town itself may teem with traditional hallmarks. That same contractor can show you how to choose shades that were commonplace at the time your building was constructed.
Choose light colors to burnish size
The grandest estates in the country are often painted white, including a most distinguished home on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Light colors make buildings look larger. And psychologically, they are thought to provide a mental lift. If white is too stark for your taste, downshift to a pale cream, ivory or linen. The differences may sound subtle, but they will look distinctly different on the expanse of a condominium.
Use dark colors to add drama
Frank Lloyd Wright immortalized the technique known as “banding,” or using darker colors to accentuate lighter ones. You can employ this dramatic approach on shutters, trim and doors. You can even use dark colors to disguise building flaws.
If you're already feeling that it's “better to play it safe” with paint color, trust your good instincts. And realize that few improvements can invigorate a building like paint. People *will* notice – and hopefully, will put on the brakes when they pull up in front of your freshly painted building.
Partner Post Conributor: Renovia, Nashville, TN
