Choosing Paint Colors for Decorating a House

Choosing paint colors to decorate your home can be a daunting experience; after all, we can distinguish more than nine million colors. The secret is to simplify your job by bringing order and method to your choice. For instance, although there are millions of colors, all are formed by three basic primary colors--red, yellow and blue--and three secondary colors--orange, green and violet. You can also label colors as warm (yellows, oranges and reds) or cool (blues, greens and violets) by the moods and feelings they evoke. You can choose colors that share a basic color (analogous), that complement and contrast one another, or different shades of the same color.

1. Look for a central item or feature in the house you can use as a starting point. It can be a particular view from one of the rooms, a work of art hanging on the wall, wallpaper or simply your favorite color. This will work as a starting point from which to create a color scheme.

2. Study carefully the item or feature you chose. Ask yourself: what colors are used in it? How do they combine? Do they contrast or blend? Are they warm or cool? How does it make you feel? This will help you choose which colors and shades to use and emphasize in the house.

3. Combine the colors you chose to create a harmonious scheme. Use a color wheel to help you decide which colors are related, and which complement each other. Color wheels like the Prang color wheel arrange basic hues so that basic colors are interspaced by secondary and intermediate colors. You can combine different shades of the same color (monochromatic scheme), colors that are related (close to each other on the color wheel) or colors that complement each other (opposite to each other on the wheel).

4. Test the color scheme you chose by painting small sections or using fabrics and wallpapers with your colors. If you are not happy with the result, try again until you get it right. If you are satisfied, keep a record of the color code (if you bought it at a shop) or the exact ratios you used to mix it (if you did it yourself).