Using The Best Online Paint Tools

Nothing says clean and new like a fresh coat of paint, whether it’s your home’s interior or the exterior.  If you are preparing your house for sale then I highly recommend that you paint your house. That goes for both inside and outside. Why? To put it simply, paint is the perfect upgrade to make your house show well. Not to mention, it’s the least expensive “bang for your buck”, whether you hire a professional painter of do-it-yourself, paint can’t be beaten. That’s where online paint tools come in handy.

I know what you are asking. What paint color should I choose? Usually, I’d say, stick with your favorite shades, but if you are getting ready to sell your house, you need to put a little more thought into it. With all of the color options out there, it’s hard to know where to begin.  I recently came across these amazing online paint tools that will help you try colors virtually. I’ve incorporated them into my home renovation business, too.

Before choosing a color to kick-start your paint project, try them out. Online paint tools can help you if you are having trouble visualizing one color all over the house. They also help if you don’t have tons of time to try lots of different swatches. Lastly, who wants to keep running to the paint store for samples. That becomes old pretty quickly. Now, you have the power of testing colors out online.

Top Online Paint Tools

So, without further ado, here are some of the top online paint tools are your immediate disposal. Have fun!

• Sherwin-Williams Visualizer – Can’t decide on a color? You’re not alone.  I mean really, how many shades of white are there? Before heading out to the hardware store to buy paint samples, test a few shades online with the Sherwin-Williams’ Visualizer tool.
• It offers room scenes to virtually “paint” the interior and exterior of your home.  You can also upload your own photo to really personalize the experience.  I loved using the daytime and nighttime option available with sample room scenes.  Colors can drastically change depending on the time of day. Check out my online paint job from one of our recent Los Angeles remodeling projects.

• Project Color by The Home Depot  – Home Depot offers a similar virtual paint experience through their smartphone app.  You can upload a photo from your phone or snap a live shot and start testing colors in a matter of seconds.
• Sherwin-Williams Colorsnap Tool – Love the color of a neighbor’s house? Would the color of your favorite t-shirt look great as a paint color in your laundry room?  Try the Sherwin-Williams’ online color-match tool.  Simply upload a photo to get a list of similar paint options.  If you find a photo online that you’d like to match, you can input the web address as well. See below for the color suggestions I received from a photo from our recent Redondo Beach remodel. I was incredibly impressed with these beautiful shades of blue, white, gray and beige. I thought this tool really nailed it.

 

• Sherwin-Williams Paint Calculator – Not sure how much paint to buy?  Get the answer in a few clicks by entering the room dimensions here.  There are many online paint calculators, but I was impressed by the simplicity of this one.

Always Test Your Final Paint Colors

However, I will say, after narrowing down your list of color choices with these online paint tools, I do suggest buying a sample of your final choice, maybe even your final two or three. Why? Because although online paint tools can save you money, time and hassle, it’s always best to see the real version of your color, just to be safe.

Why do I say this? Because I have insisted that I had chosen the absolute perfect color for the exterior of my home. Even when my paint contractor said, “Are you sure?” I said, yes absolutely. Guess what? After spending over $500 on paint and seeing the front of my house being painted in the absolute worst shade of beige/yellow ever, I had to stop the paint crew, call the paint contractor, and start all over again. I wasted time and money, not only on the paint but also on the labor. Never again. Please learn from my mistake.

The Power of Paint

Paint is a powerful remodeling tool, but only when used properly. Paint can highlight a home, and it can also become a home seller’s worst nightmare. The wrong colors can really turn off potential buyers. So, even if you think you nailed it with your paint choices, but aren’t completely sure about your skills, then ask for other opinions. It never hurts to ask people for their opinion. After all, people are more than happy to give it, aren’t they? Your best bet is to ask someone whose home decorating taste you admire.

White is Always a Strong Fail-Safe

Worst comes to worst, choose white. Sometimes, white is actually the best choice, especially if you are giving a potential seller a clean palate for imagining their new home. Just remember, even with white, there are so many shades to choose from, so you need to pay attention to that choice, too.

We often use white in our renovation projects. It’s versatile, provides a clean and fresh palate and makes a house feel light and bright. White is also a more modern and contemporary interior home color. We use white mainly on a house’s interior, and less often for a house’s exterior. When we do use it on a house’s exterior, it’s typically because the style of the house warrants it (think Craftsman-style homes with black shutters, for example).

The online paint tools highlighted above are incredible time-savers. Use them to get an idea of your home’s new color scheme. And, remember, test the final paint choice or the top three contenders and ask for others’ opinions. Following all of these steps will ensure that you make great paint choices for your house. Good luck and have fun!