Contrasting colors is that little something that leaves guests starring in awe when they enter your home. While the home painting solutions – in regard to texture, style, volume, are plenty, there’s one secret path that always leads to this desired destination. That’s contrast.

Why does contrast make such a huge difference in interior painting? In one phrase, it creates visual interest. And that’s the whole essence of having the home painted. Most certainly, the need to paint the home is often coerced – that’s when you have already experienced some form of damage or the walls are truly a mess and their blemishes must be fixed. Or some drywall damage must be addressed. Other times, a house painting job is simply the decision of the homeowners to upgrade. In either case, the results matter the most – aesthetically speaking. And when it comes to making the home really interesting, choosing contrasting colors can make a world of difference.

Contrasting colors to create volume

Professional home painters use two different shades from the opposite sides of the color wheel to create volume. Painting the walls black and the trims white is common practice for awesome visual interest. Of course, the black & white combo is always in vogue – one of the trendiest combinations for real contrast. But you can actually combine many opposite colors, as long as you remember that one must lead and the other must follow. Exaggerations with two intense colors may make the home happy but overkill. For better results – that won’t tire you overtime, it’s best to combine some neutral shade along with a vivid color. This will allow the contrast to pop in a pleasant manner, creating texture and volume, without tiring the eye.

Using colors to separate rooms

Contrasting colors are ideal when you like to separate rooms/spaces in an open plan home. If there are columns separating the open plan kitchen and the dining room, for example, you can paint them a different color from that of the walls to make contrast and define the spaces.

In open living spaces, flow is created by using the same color throughout. In this case and since the space is often large, the basic color is among the neutrals – white, for example. Now, you can use blue, black, and any other intense color – at different parts across the room, to create focal points, define the activity spaces, draw attention, add volume.

Different materials & colors can make contrast

While contrast is mainly achieved with one dominant and one subtle color, this may also be achieved with the use of two different materials – of different colors. For example, painting drywall white or gray and covering one wall with grey stone or red brick. This extra combination makes even more impression and adds substantial texture.

Contrast to perceive the space differently

The color combinations vary based on the house – its layout and size, and what you are trying to do – make the room look bigger, smaller, lower, taller. For instance, if you want to lower the ceiling, you should paint darker the ceiling. If you aim at the opposite, you can use a darker shade for the walls and a light color for the ceiling. If your intention is to make the room look wider, you can paint the ceiling and rear wall the same color – different from that of the other walls. By painting two opposite walls dark and use a light color for the rear wall and ceiling, the room looks narrower. These small tricks are very helpful when you want to add volume to the interior with contrasting colors but don’t want to affect the way the home is perceived. So, watch which wall you choose to paint dark. Don’t pick the back wall if you don’t want to shorten the room. But these are things a home painter will tell you, if you are interested in contrasting colors.