Wise Color Choices for Your Home

by Beverly Clarke


All of us like to make the place where we live look nice and inviting. The fact that colors have a psychologoical effect on us, is widely known. They can soothe us, lift our spirits and can even make us feel stressed. Some of the most difficult decisions in decorating have to do with selecting colors. If you decide to follow trends, your home may look trendy in one season and absolutely outdated in the next, so your best decision is to select more classic colors that would work for you now as well as in the future.

Begin by reviewing the colors that you already have and decide if you are comfortable enough to keep what you currently have, or if you want to make a change. Consider each room’s function. Identify how you would like to feel when you are in a particular room and select the shades that would help you feel that way. Your instincts about your comfort level with a particular color, are usually right when you are in the color selection process, so trust them.

For example, one of the most important rooms in the house is the master bedroom. sage green and sky blue are good color choices for a room in which you will relax since they will induce tranquility and peacefulness. For evoking a sensuous feel in a room, select the color red and for drama, chocolate brown is a good choice.

The kitchen, as a place where family and friends come together and enjoy conversation, should promote good cheer and well-being by using bright colors. One of the most popular colors that have been associated with the kitchen is yellow. It is however, important that you select a shade of yellow that would suit the room. While the purer, lighter shades of that color induce a feeling of freshness and happiness, murkier shades are associated with danger and illness.

Choosing to use complementary colors between rooms that are near each other is an important decorating decision. Also remember, while cool shades make the rooms seem large and spacious, warm colors create cozy and comfortable spaces.

After you have formed your decisions as regards the colors that you want, you can purchase paint sample containers of the colors and try those in your home. There are many people who buy several gallons of paint only to find they dislike the color as it goes onto the walls.

It is also important to select the appropriate level of sheen for the walls. For kitchens and bathrooms, a satin or eggshell finish will facilitate easy cleanup. For other rooms, if you like the effect, you can choose a flat finish.

An interior designer can consult with you on an hourly fee if you are not comfortable selecting paint colors on your own. Home is the place where you spend a lot of time. The decisions you make now, will affect you for many years to come, so selecting carefully is indeed, a requirement.


Author resource:  Beverly Clarke and her husband, Barry, own a successful trade showroom that caters exclusively to professional interior designers and their clients.  Although located in Florida, Town Country and Casual is available to professional designers both locally and nationwide.  Access their design resources and high-end furniture lines by dropping by the showroom, or visiting them online.

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