Selecting a paint color: Picking a paint color is a difficult decision. You need to make sure you buy the right kind of paint too!

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Deciding on a paint color

Now that the walls are primed, it was time to pick out a paint color. That's been a notoriously tedious process for us every time we paint. Each time we end up with 10-15 color chips that we like and we try to decide (and agree) on the one we like best. This time was no exception!

Use Better Homes and Gardens Interior Designer to help you choose a paint color. It's easy to see how different colors will look in your finished basement. Here, I tried antique white (left), and butterscotch (right). [Click the images above to enlarge.]

Picking a paint color

We wanted something different than the standard 'off white', but were concerned that if we went too dark, our basement would be too 'cave like'. Furthermore, we needed to take into account our home theater as we decided on a color scheme.

The ideal color for the home theater would be flat black walls, black ceiling, and dark carpet. However, that wouldn't be practical so we needed to compromise.

After we decided on our top few colors choices we bought a pint of each. We went with Valspar American Traditions brand at Lowe's. I had saved a few scraps of drywall to use for our color tests. I primed each, and put two coats of paint on them so I could see EXACTLY how the color would look in our finished basement. After much indecision, we went with "Canyon" from Valspar's top of the line "Signature" series in an eggshell finish for the walls, and "Churchill Hotel Ecru" in a satin finish for the baseboard molding.

FAB Tip - Save the scraps of drywall you've painted and take them with you whenever you go look at carpet, furniture, or flooring. It will help ensure that everything matches.

Using Better Homes & Gardens Interior Designer choose a paint color

Better Homes and Gardens Interior Designer will help make picking a paint color easier. You just pull up a 3-D camera view of your basement, and click on the spray can icon to bring up the “Select library object” window. This brings up a variety of options for paint color, carpet and flooring. You just pick the one you like, and then click on the surface in 3-D view to apply the selected color or texture. Voila! You can now see how your new room will look!

Changing the carpet color is just a click away. [Click to enlarge]

Here's what the kitchen and walk-up bar area would look like with a tile floor, custard walls, and dark trim and wainscoting. [Click to enlarge]

Here's what the kitchen area would look like with a cherry wood floor, darker carpet, tan walls and lighter trim. [Click to enlarge]