Top 10 color and paint mistakes

MANILA, Philippines - The most common challenge in interior design is painting and color choices. After finally deciding on a paint color, it’s difficult to shake off that niggling doubt that perhaps that particular color wasn’t such a good choice. Consumed by the thought of a huge color mistake, we never consider the other mishaps could be lurking around the corner.

Save yourself the time and trouble and avoid the common pitfalls of repainting. The students of the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID), the country’s premiere institution in interior design education, enumerate the top 10 color and paint mistakes as they proudly showcase this year’s interior design exhibit dubbed “Caleidoscope,” the graduation exhibit of PSID Advanced Class 2010.

The interior design exhibit is mounted in cooperation with Eastwood City and focuses on the four C’s of design: Color, Character, Cause and Cost, design elements that challenged the batch to create 18 well-executed and thoroughly researched interiors that are cost-effective as well.

Here are the top 10 color and paint mistakes:

1) Allowing a friend or your kid to choose your wall color at the paint store. It’s you who will have to live with the color, so don’t pass the important responsibility to someone else.

2) An “educated guess” that the color deck card in your hand will match the sofa. Take swatches of your upholstery to the store, or bring home the paint strip to be sure; guesswork will cost you additional money.

3) Deciding on a dark color for a very, very small room. Dark and light colors have opposite effects on a room’s feeling of spaciousness. A dark color in a small room will feel stifling; lighter colors will make it feel more expansive and airy.

4) The wrong paint finish on the ceiling. Only floors are suppose to have that reflective shine — having your lights bouncing on your ceiling will drive you crazy.

5) Making a color selection from a magazine photo. Say cheese, please — what looks good in a magazine will not necessarily look good in your home. Take paint samples, fabrics, and accessories in the room you’ll use them on, and view them under the different light conditions in the room.

6) Using a color that is mostly pigment. Reds, navy blues, browns, and blacks are all one-based paints. These colors also have intense psychological effects — red and black create stress and tension, navy creates a cold and uninviting feel, and brown can cause apathy and depression — so it is best to use them in moderation.

7) Matching the wall color exactly to the floor surface. As a rule of thumb, floors should be a little darker than the walls. This grounds the room design and provides a pleasing balance to the space.

8) Painting light colors over dark without priming first. Dark colors will bleed through medium and light colors without a primer coat – double the work and double the coats of paint, not the pleasure.

9) Applying latex paint over an oil-painted surface. Oil-based paint is slippery and does not provide enough grip for the latex paint to adhere, resulting in bubbles, cracks, and unsightly peeling. It’s best to sand down the old paint and apply primer for the new paint to hold.

10) Wrong color combination. Clashing colors are an eyesore while little contrast is boring. Use the color wheel as your guide.

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In its 43rd year, the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) proudly showcases “Caleidoscope,” the graduation exhibit of the PSID Advanced Class of 2010, which runs from Oct. 3 to 31 at the Athena Building, Eastwood City, Libis, and Quezon City.