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Step 1
Do This First! Go to your nearest Wal-Mart or any paint store and pick up an entire set of paint swatch cards. Yes, you are allowed to take every single one! When you get back home punch a hole in each card and string them together. Carry these with you when you go color shopping!
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Step 2
Look at Fabric! Go to the fabric section of your store and pick out some fabrics you like. Are the colors in the fabric something you would like to see in your home? If so, match the colors on the fabric as closely as you can to your paint swatch cards and jot down the paint swatch numbers.
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Step 3
Look at Crayons! Take some crayons and start coloring! Just make stripes of color on white paper. You can overlap the crayon colors to create a new color. When you get a combinations you like match the crayon colors to the paint swatch cards and jot down the paint swatch numbers.
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Step 4
Look at Magazines! Go through pages of any magazine. When you see a colorful page that you like match the colors to the paint swatch cards and jot down the paint swatch numbers.
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Step 5
Look at Nature! Go outside and look at the colors in nature! Do you like the way a yellow tulip looks against the dark green grass? Or are the white clouds in the light blue sky catching your eye? Whatever colors you like, match the colors to the paint swatch cards and jot down the paint swatch numbers.
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Step 6
Here's the Fun Part! Now that you have your list of colors that you like, go through your paint swatch cards and cut out all the swatches that you picked out. Play with them on a table by putting different colors next to each other. Try to imagine which colors would look good on the walls and which colors you would like for furniture, pillows, art work, home decor items, etc. Trust your instincts. If you are really drawn to red then you can make red work for you somewhere in your room... if not on the wall then maybe on the sofa! Just don't be afraid to play with color.
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Step 7
You're Almost Done! Once you have a good idea on what you want to buy and in which colors make a color chart. Glue each paint color swatch on a piece of paper and write down which items you want in that color (wall, vase, pillow, etc). Then grab your custom made color chart and go shopping! And remember, if you find the perfect piece but it's the wrong color you can either paint it or upholster it to make it work!
