Choose a Color Scheme

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Instructions

Choose a Color Scheme

1. Color makes an immediate and lasting visual impact, and gives off an array of mood-changing associations. As soon as you've evaluated your apartment and settled on a style, you should choose a color scheme that both complements the space and suits your personal preferences. By understanding the qualities of primary and secondary colors, you'll get a better idea of what shades will work best.
   
   Primary colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue.
   Secondary colors: Orange, Green, and Violet.
   
   To balance out the splashy colors above, add neutral earth tones and strong, sleek shades of black and gray. Another universal color is white, which, in its various incarnations (off-white, beige, and eggshell), provides a can't-go-wrong foundation for any room.
   
   If you're lucky enough to have more than one room, try doing a different color scheme for each (for example, a forest green and burgundy living room, a baby blue and white bathroom, a violet and gray bedroom, and so forth).
   
   A few last color guidelines:
   
   Deep "warm" colors give a room an intimate, cozy feel. They are: red-violet, red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, and yellow.
   
   Light "cool" colors make a room seem more spacious and elegant. They are: green, blue-green, blue, and blue-violet. White also has this effect.
   
   Even if you have all-white walls (many landlords and dorm managers won't allow residents to paint), you can easily convey color schemes through curtains, pillows, lamps, candles, blankets, area rugs, and so forth.

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[cdrates]

on 10/28/2009 It's really hard to decorate on a budget, but this article has a lot of great tips, thanks!