Using the Right Colors

Color can be one of the most difficult things to choose when you are deciding how you would like to decorate your home.  After all, color can alter are mood or comfort level severely and it’s hard to tell how a certain color will make you feel if it’s splashed all over your walls or surrounding you in a room.  For this reason, it is extremely important to put time and consideration into choosing the right colors.

As a general rule of thumb you should choose the paint color last, after you have your furniture, rugs and accessories picked out.  It is much easier to find a shade of paint that patches a particular fabric or pattern than it is to find a couch that will match your fuschia walls!  When you go to the store to pick out a paint color it is a good idea to bring rug and fabric swatches in order to find a paint shade that fits.  Pick up paint chips of a lot of different options and think about it for a few days.  Pick up some lighter colors and some darker colors.  Also ask the people who work in the store for their opinion, as maybe they’ll come up with something you hadn’t even thought of!

Once you have picked out your paint chips, bring them home to look at them in the actual room.  Sometimes lighting can change the way that a color looks and if you haven’t looked at the chips under the lighting in the room then you may be in for a surprise once you paint the walls!  Think about the color for a few days before making any rash decisions.

If you go with a bright or dark color, it is recommended that you paint the trim, moldings and doors in white or another light color to even things out.  Also keep in mind that there are many different versions of white, so you’ll have to take samples for these as well, to look at in the room.

Once you have put a lot of thought into the right color, you are ready to start painting!