Thanks to long, sunny days, many people associate summer with color. Once the typical heat of a Philadelphia summer has set in, you’ll probably want to find ways to bring color indoors other than letting the sun shine in. Changing up the paint colors in your home is one way to add some brightness and zest. While the average cost to hire a professional home painter in Philly can be a couple thousand dollars, you can do it yourself for just the cost of paint and supplies. Use these painting tips to get creative with your home decor.

Focus on the Accents

If you want to add seasonal color with paint, one of the best ways to do so is to stick with the accents. Paint your interior doors a sunny yellow or a blue that reminds you of the ocean. Keep the color year-round or repaint it in the fall. Spread the color all over the house by painting the door frames and baseboards instead of just the doors.

You can add color by painting a single accent wall, too. Requiring less paint and less time hard at work, painting a single wall is a budget-friendly approach to refreshing your decor. Pick a summer color that works with your current color scheme to make the project as simple as possible.

Look Up

Welcome summer into your space by painting the ceiling a vibrant color. Painting the ceiling a color other than white or off-white has multiple benefits: According to This Old House, a dramatic ceiling color can make a room feel larger; the color of the ceiling can also brighten up the room, if it’s a vibrant shade set against more neutral wall colors.

The thing to remember when choosing a ceiling color is contrast. If your room already has dark walls in the room and you paint the ceiling a dark color, you might feel boxed in — but a lighter shade on the ceiling can add space and dimension to the room.

Look Down

Some people might feel faint at the thought of painting hardwood floors. But a colorful floor can be more welcoming than plain wood. In the summer, bright white floors can add an airy touch to a home. A painted floor can also be lower maintenance, as you can skip carpeting or needing to use specialty floor cleaners. Depending on how much patience you have for the project, you can paint a pattern onto your floors, such as stripes or a checkerboard.

Tips for a Perfect Paint Job

Once you know what to paint, figuring out how to do it is a must. Using the right paint is important. For example, if you want to paint the floors, you should use a paint designed for flooring, as it will be able to withstand the wear and tear of having people walk on it.

Other painting tips include figuring out the best time to work on your project. Pick a day that’s not super hot or humid, as dampness and high temperatures can slow down drying time. You also want to be able to open the windows and air out the room, and that might not be feasible on a blazingly hot day in Philly.

The great thing about paint is that it’s easy to change if you end up not liking it. Once you get tired of your sunny yellow bathroom door or sky-blue accent wall, you can prime and paint over it to create a new look.

Image Source: Flickr/Kenneth Lu

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