Want to refresh your Manhattan space on a budget? Rather than renovating, consider a new coat of paint as your first step. Manhattan renovation can be costly — if it’s not feasible to remodel, consider working with a painting company to get a whole new look on a budget.
Paint is an often overlooked facet of apartments and brownstones. It’s easy and inexpensive to change, but with minimal effort, it offers maximum impact that can change how a space looks and feels.
Ready to Refresh Without a Remodel? Here’s How to Choose Paint
It pays dividends to plan ahead, rather than just grabbing chips from the nearest paint store. Here are our top tips for ensuring your paint choices make your home feel brand new.
Consider Lighting
Do you have south-facing windows to fill your space with light? Lucky you — but not everyone has natural lighting that makes a home feel vibrant and spacious, no matter the wall color. While lighting impacts on what colors you should choose, there are no hard and fast rules.
Often, design advice states to use light colors to make a small space feel bigger or a dark space feel brighter. But actually, light paint can have the opposite effect. Sometimes it’s worth it to lean into a cozy room and use paint to create a moody environment. If that’s not your vibe, you can still choose light colors. Just be sure to use soft, muted colors with a warm undertone (yes, even blue and green can have warm undertones!) to enhance the brightness you do have.
Think About Architecture
While the architecture of your building and unit doesn’t have to dictate everything about your style, letting it influence your paint color choices can help create a seamless, cohesive feel. Pre-war apartments with historic details can make bright, saturated hues look refined and polished. Modern, contemporary units can be a backdrop to add your own personality. Choose neutral colors and let art and furniture stand out, or choose your favorite colors and splash them onto the walls.
Don’t Forget Furniture & Flooring
Speaking of furniture, consider your collection before choosing paint colors. Color theory means your furniture and paint will play off each other’s tones. For instance, if you have warm oak floors and cabinets, a bright blue will bring out yellow and orange tones which are typically unwanted as more muted wood is trending.
Instead, choosing colors with undertones that match — like greens with a slight yellow or a warm greige, will lessen the contrast and trick your eye.
Finishing Touches
In addition to color, the finish of your paint matters. Satin, semi-gloss, and gloss have a sheen. They are easy to clean and can make details stand out. Using these on molding or in kitchens and bathrooms is a great choice. But gloss will make every imperfection stand out.
Flat, matt, and eggshell have less sheen or no sheen at all. These hide blemishes on woodwork well but are susceptible to markings — even from the fingerprints and the natural oils in your skin. Ceilings especially benefit from a flat or matte finish to avoid glare.
Get Creative with Painting Inspiration
Before you start painting, gather some inspiration. Look for themes throughout your favorite spaces — is it a specific color you love? Perhaps it’s a mood created by the combination of paint, furnishings, and decor. Collecting pictures and ideas from different sources like a project gallery, Pinterest, and Instagram can help you identify.
Dark and Moody
A dark finish is a great way to accentuate personality in your space. It can add drama to small spaces, create vibrancy in fantasy rooms, and highlight details when used as a focal point.
See how a small space uses dark tones to add a luxe finish.
Light and Airy
If a sun-drenched room of windows is your dream, light neutrals are the way to go. Adding color sparingly will highlight details, but using neutrals creates a calm and serene atmosphere.
Natural details pop in this light and bright kitchen.
Eclectic Contemporary
Borrowing inspiration from a panoramic view or natural elements can help you infuse personality into your space. With neutral paint as a backdrop, the art, furniture, and details that feel uniquely you will stand out.
See how this space incorporates the view into its design with golden details that match the glittering skyscrapers.
Why Choose a Pro?
Choosing paint isn’t just about the colors. When you want to refresh your home, but a luxury remodel isn’t in the cards just yet, choosing an experienced Manhattan remodeling contractor to help with paint can be the start of a great relationship.
The best part of working with an experienced remodeling contractor is that we can not only help you repaint your apartment efficiently. We can also help you design a palette that makes your whole home feel cohesive. Though painting doesn’t require construction, we can use our design expertise to add details, choose focal points, and use color to create a whole new look for your space.
Learn more about our painting services — get a free interior painting consultation if you are ready for an upgrade to your Manhattan home that doesn’t require any remodeling.
