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Use Color to Make Your House Feel Like Home!
Are you stuck in the rut of decorating with only neutrals? Do you long for color, are afraid to break out and try a new shade? Opening a can of colorful paint could be the answer for you. There is no quicker or easier way to change the look of your home and the way you feel living there.
When choosing color for your home consider the following questions:
- What colors appeal to you? What are the colors of the clothes hanging in your closet? What colors look great on you? If the color looks good on you then it will look great on your walls.
- What colors give you energy or make you feel relaxed? Will you be using the room for work, play or relaxation?
- How much light does the room get? Does it face north, south, east, or west? Do you want to make the space feel cozy or open?
- Are you inspired by colors of nature or the colors of a certain time in history?
I suggest three exercises to help you figure out what colors you really enjoy.
- Buy about 7-10 decorating magazines. Sit down, relax and take a look through each magazine. Tear out each page that grabs you. Your first reaction when you turn the page is the important reaction. Do you love the color and style of the room in the picture? Put the pictures in a folder. Go back 5-7 days later. Spread them out on the floor and find continuity in those pages.
- Walk through a fabric store and take note of the fabrics that jump out at you. These include the colors you love. You can even have pieces cut so you can take these colors home with you.
- Now that you have an idea of the colors that you love, go to the paint store and find these colors on the paint swatches. Have several mixed in quart size containers. Then you will have enough to take home and paint on a board or right on the wall. Paint a three-foot by three-foot space--enough color to get an idea of how it will look in your room. Then watch the color for several days. You will be amazed at how the color changes with the change of light in the room. After a couple of days you will know if this is the color for you.
Remember that your first instinct about the color is the best. And if you decide it does not work for you, try again.
Watch for my next article: "Taking the Mystery out of the Color Wheel—how to understand a color wheel and how to apply it when choosing color for your home."
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