Color Matching Wallpaper
Starting on a room makeover can be an exciting and a transformative journey, and choosing the right wallpaper is a crucial step in this process. Picking out a color from a wallpaper design can be overwhelming. Should I pick the background color? One of the floral colors? Maybe the green in the leaves?
What comes first? The color or the pattern…
Neither is an incorrect way to start. Finding wallpaper designs when you already have an idea of a color palette can make the decision fatigue not as bad. But sometimes that wallpaper you absolutely love finds you and you want to design your entire room around it. If thats you then you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we'll explore the art of color matching to help you achieve a harmonious and visually stunning room makeover.
Creating balance
Wallpaper comes in various patterns and scales, from subtle textures to bold prints. When color matching, pay attention to the scale of the pattern. If your wallpaper is larger in scale it could take over and become the main focus. In that case you would want a color that complements instead of competes. Smaller scaled wallpaper can blend into the background easier and let a color be the first focus. At Jo-Lou Design we offer multiple scales and custom sizing so you can have the exact size you want.
Think about the feeling you want the space to have. Is it moody? Maybe look at the darker colors in the wallpaper. Or maybe you want bright and welcoming. Look at the color in the design that would help create that feeling. Also think about how much light the room gets.
Think about how much of each you want. Will the room be mainly painted with a pop of wallpaper maybe as an accent wall or above board and batten molding? Or do you want every wall covered in wallpaper and maybe the trim and ceiling will be painted a matching color? Deciding on this aspect of the design can help you in choosing the right colors to sample. Also think of lighting. If you paint the room dark with dark wallpaper and the space doesnt get light it may be difficult for yourself and others to see when inside create a less then enjoyable experience.
Get your color
Did you know that paint stores have a color scanner? You can go to your local Benjamin Moore or Shermin Whilliams store with your wallpaper sample. Show them the spot on you sample you want the color to be pulled from and then they can put it under their scanner. Their system will make a custom color formula for the exact match and can even keep the formula on file. They can also provide a few close matches of existing colors from their collections.
You can get multiple sample pots of paint to test in your space. How a color looks in store is going to be different then how it appears in your home especially at certain times of day. I suggest having two to five colors sampled and painting them either on the wall or on large 11x14 poster boards to see how each color will look through out the day. Also hold your wallpaper next to each swatch at different times of day to see which color looks best paired with your wallpaper.
Once you pick one of the colors from your sample you are ready to go! Grab a gallon or whichever size you need and get to painting and wallpapering. Pro tip before you leave and create this amazing space. Paint before you hang your wallpaper. That way you will have a clean look where your wallpaper meets the painted area. The last thing you want after all your hard work is a thin line showing of the paint the wall was previously peaking out.