It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of repainting your home. 

But before you go and buy 10 gallons of new paint for your home’s interior, don’t forget to ask yourself one very important question: “How do I match paint colors and decor?”

After all, you already have a home filled with furniture. Choosing a paint color that will complement the furniture you already own will be essential to a cohesive look.

Here are 5 tips for matching your new paint and existing decor flawlessly.

1. Choose Complementary Colors

We mean this quite literally. If you’re not sure what colors are the “complementary” colors for your dark purple cushions, grab a color wheel and you can find out. Complementary colors are two colors on the color wheel that are exact opposites.

This would be like matching your deep purple cushions with a complimentary mustard shade of paint.

Choosing colors on opposite ends of the color wheel adds interest and balance to the palette of a room.

2. “Match” Patterns

Mixing different patterns in interior design intimidates many. 

Gone are the days when it was popular to match curtains to lampshades and couches. Too much matchy-matchy is boring and one-dimensional.

To mix patterns in a room, the key is not to overdo it. A good rule of thumb is to use no more than 3 different patterns. Ideally, those patterns should vary in size from large, medium, and small.

If your rug has large animal print designs and you want stripes painted on one wall, go for a medium line. You can also choose different paint colors than your patterned decor and still have a cohesive look as long as you choose a similar paint hue.

I.E. if your furniture is pastel, don’t choose a jewel tone paint color. Stick to the same color intensity and hue.

3. Go Neutral

If your furniture is bright and full of color, you may want to avoid over-stimulating the eye by choosing a super bright paint color as well.

Neutral paint colors like slate, cream, or eggshell provide a place for the eye to rest when your room is already popping with vibrantly colored furniture or decor. Neutral paint can also become a canvas for emphasizing dramatic pieces of art. 

4. Think Long-Term

Once your paint is applied, it may be easier to buy a new set of lamps than to change your mind on the paint color for the room.

Before you decide on the color you want, consider how long you plan to keep your existing furniture. After all, if you plan to buy new decor in a year anyway, you’ll want to select a paint color to match your future decor plans.

5. Consider 3 Tones

There’s something mathematically appealing about the number 3. Science has proven it, art has proven it, so your interior color scheme is no different.

As with matching paints and patterned furniture, as long as you stick to three, complementary colors in a room that are of the same hue, you can get away with more variety.

Peach colored walls with light-lemon lamps and baby-blue cushions can work. Just make sure you don’t push it with too many varying colors or different hues.

Match Paint Colors and Decor Today

To match paint colors and decor is easier than it sounds. Follow these tips and your intuition and you can choose a paint color that will work well with your existing decor.

For ideas, find out what the top 5 trending interior paint colors of 2019 are.