A fresh coat of paint to prime your sale

Home and Garden

A fresh coat of paint to prime your sale

A fresh coat of paint to prime your sale -- paint jobs that increase salability

Ask the professionals, and they'll tell you a fresh coat of pain, both inside and out, can go a long way toward making your home more marketable. Neutral are usually the way to go, with some exceptions. This Buckhead town house's elegant aura was created by interior decorator Phoebe Howard with industry favorite Benjamin Moore's Cream Fleece on walls and White Dove trim.

This bedroom by interior designer Maria McLaurin Nutt illustrates the trend for trim, wall and ceiling paint all in the same color with various sheens which allows the colors in chairs, lamps and curtains to take center stage.

This classic combination of grey shake offset with crisp off-white trim and earth tone shutters by designer Raymond Goins is the home exterior paint version of a refined, well-tailored business suit.

Though color experts recommend conservative, neutral paint hues when selling a home, home owners should remember that color can also be an opportunity to express their personalities as with the bold, graphic floor paint in this Buckhead home. "There are no hard and fast rules," designer Raymond Goins said. "If anything, be true to yourself when it comes to color."

When beautiful furnishings, an exposed brick wall and a modern loft layout add visual interest, white can be the perfect color choice, said real estate agent Troy Wells of this Grant Park home.

Ice blue accents and curtains work even better when set against a creamy palette as in this serene living room by Marietta's McLaurin Interiors. "Don't worry about trends or what's 'in style,"' advised interior designer Maria McLaurin Nutt. "Instead think about the following: What colors do you like? What colors do you wear? What colors are you drawn to immediately?"

When it comes to bathrooms, homeowners are sometimes tempted to go for vivid colors. A better choice -- illustrated in this Decatur bathroom -- is using gray tones balanced with accessories like art, towels and plants that offer complementary jolts of color, said real estate agent Troy Wells.

This Decatur home office displays a good rule of thumb when it comes to color: Use a lighter color with darker furnishings. Real estate agent Troy Wells said getting a color consultation from a designer, which can run anywhere from $100-$250 per hour, is a good investment.

While color experts advise neutrals on home exteriors, agent Troy Wells said this pop of red works well to dramatize this Brookhaven home's front entrance. His advice for sellers is, first and foremost, to keep the exterior of the home consistent with the neighborhood.

Painted brick is no longer a no-no according to designer Raymond Goins, who thinks it adds classic elegance. Lighten and brighten by painting the brick and adding a hint of drama with color on the shutters, agent Troy Wells said of this Brookhaven home.

An ice blue shade adds tranquility to this Brookhaven bedroom.

Atlanta decorators herald the advantages of white-on-white in choosing paint colors and room furnishings as in this Buckhead town house by decorator Phoebe Howard.

This Buckhead town house decorated by Phoebe Howard illustrates the paint color trend for soothing neutrals and the dominance of white among Atlanta decorators. Also trendy now are earth tones, sea greens, ice blues and a blending of indoors and outdoors, which reflects a greater environmental consciousness.

A creamy, unobtrusive trim and wall color don't interfere with design from Robert Brown Interior Design. an especially smart choice for buyer-friendly colors are the road tested, subtle Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware lines from Benjamin Moore and the HGTV palettes offered by Sherman Williams, which tend to be more universal and subdued.

In this home decorated by Harmonious Living's Tish Mills and painted by Archie Deese, owner of Grant Park painting company Paint Doctor, subdued color and a unique artist's mural by Tammy Allman allow the stunning woodwork and furnishings to shine.

Atlanta interior decorator Phoebe Howard uses a high gloss finish with a rich, saturated hue to work with this room's complicated architectural details.

A rich, high gloss chocolate brown is the perfect accent to the cream, gold and black furnishings in this Atlanta show house by interior decorator Phoebe Howard.

This Ansley Park home painted by the Paint Doctor Archie Deese uses neutral tones that blend with surrounding homes, but with idiosyncratic touches of green trim. You can play up unique architectural features of your Craftsman or Victorian with interesting trim color but, in general, color experts agreed that neutrals are the way to go. "I would probably stick with tans, beiges, taupes and grays," said Archie Deese.

Interesting architecture and a more creative neighborhood like Grant Park can afford opportunities to get away from the standard of neutral paint color on a home exterior. With country style or cottage homes, real estate agent Troy Wells said sage greens, beige yellows and moss greens can add charm.

1/20

Ask the professionals, and they'll tell you a fresh coat of pain, both inside and out, can go a long way toward making your home more marketable. Neutral are usually the way to go, with some exceptions. This Buckhead town house's elegant aura was created by interior decorator Phoebe Howard with industry favorite Benjamin Moore's Cream Fleece on walls and White Dove trim.

Today's Gallery Headlines

Jesse Jackson

PHOTOS: Civil rights icon Jesse Jackson found stage and home in Atlanta

Spring training Day 5 (Saturday)

PHOTOS: Day 5 of spring training for the Braves

Valentines for Veterans

Metro Atlanta students write valentines to veterans

GHSA Championship, Dance, Akins Ford Arena, Athens

PHOTOS: Georgia teams dance way to state championships