BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Choose a Color Scheme for a Room

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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A color scheme provides a blueprint for the furnishings that will be used in a room. Here are some ways to set up and maintain a harmonious color scheme.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Clear Tapes
Fabrics
Paints
Pins
Poster Boards

Step1

Decide what colors you like and plan to use them in your room.

Step2

Look at magazines and decorating books for ideas. Your wardrobe, a treasured painting, a lovely handmade rug or a pretty fabric can all serve as inspiration.

Step3

Weigh your selections along with the lighting in your room. A room with limited light can seem somber when dark colors dominate. If aubergine or rust are among your favorite colors but you want a well-lit, bright atmosphere, use those hues in toss pillows, vases, lamp bases, candles and other accents.

Step4

Use each color more than once for a unified scheme. When a color is used just once, it will seem as though the color was introduced into the room and forgotten soon afterward.

Step5

Plan ahead. Pin or tape swatches and scraps of paper in the colors you desire to a poster board. With the samples in the room, adjust the lighting as you experiment with mixing colors to achieve a pleasing balance.

Step6

Keep the colors in adjoining rooms and spaces compatible. For example, a periwinkle-blue, cornmeal-yellow and navy bedroom will link more harmoniously to a sky blue and buttercream-yellow bathroom than to one with sage green and taupe.

Tips & Warnings

If you're still unsure of yourself, pick a favorite color and use it along with a white. (Of course, you'll still need the necessary neutrals, such as the exposed brown wood on chair legs and the terra-cotta of a flowerpot.)
Put drama into a monochromatic color scheme by varying the textures and using a few accessories - a painting, a vase, a pillar candle - in a bold accent color.

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Comments

snizzlefritz said

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on 11/30/2006 Would have to disagree with "it's just paint". Aside from the investment in gallons of paint and the supplies for application (which can be a little pricey), there is the factor of time. Time to prep the walls and time to cut-in and re-roll the room. Even though the walls may have just been painted, there is still prep work involved to repaint. I've never met anyone who was excited to paint over a poor color choice. Investing in color samples or professional color help can save time and money in the long run.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Don't get any supplies until you are positive that's what you want. It really stinks buying this nice piece of furniture for your room when it doesn't go with your newly updated plans. Just make sure you're not going to make any sudden changes that will look horrible with what you've got.

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Think of your favorite color. Now avoid it. I could have all too easily done every room in my apartment in blue, and it would have been completely overwhelming. By intentionally holding back, I have a good amount of blue but am not drowning in it.