How to Decorate With Color

We crave a splash of color in our home decor. But, for some, decorating with color frightens and intrigues. Toss off color fear by starting small and adding splashes of color throughout your home. Your decor will gain a decorating "pop" and your spirits will be lifted each time you see the bright and colorful additions you have added to your home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Color wheel

1. Throw a colorful pillow on the sofa. Decorate with small touches of color to your existing decor as a first step to adding color throughout your home. Use a color from a wall hanging or match colors in another piece of furniture when choosing your throw pillows.

2. Think about the room's purpose before painting the walls. Color brings energy to a room and if you are seeking a tranquil environment you may want to keep your color accents to a minimum. If energy is your goal, let your imagination run wild.

3. Evaluate the existing lighting in a room before creating a rainbow decor. Color reacts differently with natural light than with artificial light sources. Use a color swatch to see if the colors you have chosen react well with the lighting in your room.

4. Paint a bathroom first. Decorating a bathroom or laundry room with color allows you to experiment with new decorating ideas without committing to changing the decor of a major living space.

5. Consider painting just one wall with an accent color. A little color goes a long way in home decor. Use a color wheel to assess if your color choice works with existing furniture and wall paint.

6. View your living space as one large canvas to decorate. While each space has its own decor there should be continuity between the spaces. Color can be used to create continuity, so consider accents in the kitchen that match your accent wall in the living room.

7. Enjoy the experience. Decorating is about reflecting your personality and style in your living space. Decorating with color should reflect your energetic nature. The end result should please you and those you live with.

Resources

• HGTV's website offers decorating tips.
• Visit bhg.com for more information.

[kosmosfl]

on 9/16/2009 I like colors too bt I always follow this rule: Leave the walls and furniture neutral.
you can add color with accents, like rugs, paintings, pillows, curtains and even books.
that way if you get tired you can do minor changes without having to paint a whole wall or changing your furniture.
And try to avoid the matchy-matchy thing. Make it look casual (even if you put alot of thought into it), and make it the way you like it, it's your home so you should feel comfortable and happy!