How to Pick a Color Scheme for a Family Room
Selecting a paint color for a family room isn't as simple as going to the paint store and buying a couple gallons of paint. The family room serves many purposes. It's a place where people play games, watch TV, read books and magazines, and create crafts. The color scheme in the room should reflect not only the many activities that will take place in the room, but also the personality of the people using the room. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Consider the the function of the room. Factors to take into consideration include how old the users are, the different tastes of the members of the family and what sort of feel you'd like the room to have.
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Write down the uses of the room. This will assist you in thinking them through and remembering them.
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Think about the décor that's already in place. Unless the décor is going to be changed, the paint selection should match what's already in the room. If the furniture is going to be changed, you'll want to decide on the color scheme and furniture style and colors at the same time.
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Decide if the family room is going to be an active space or a passive space. Color affects mood, and typically warm colors, such as reds or golds, fit better in active spaces because they are energizing. Cool colors, such as blues or greens, are better selections for passive spaces because they are calming. If it's going to be a mixed space, you might decide to put the kids' space in an alcove, for example, or in a place that's set apart by a room divider.
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Determine if you want vibrant colors on all four walls or if you'd like the room to be a bit more understated. Bright colors on all four walls can be overwhelming after a while. Some homeowners prefer to paint one wall a bright color, such as red or blue, but leave the other walls a neutral color.
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Look at the lighting in the room. If the room is in the basement, you want to choose a brighter color to offset the natural darkness of the space. Conversely, if it's a room that already gets a lot of natural light, a stark white or bright yellow might be too much for the eyes.
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Become better acquainted with the 60-30-10 rule in interior design. This means that 60 percent of the room should be of one color---typically the walls. Thirty percent of the room---usually shelves, cabinets and other smaller pieces of furniture---are assigned a different color. The remaining 10-percent can be a mix, and these colors are the extra colors that would be found in the artwork on the walls, plants in the room and other accessories. This rule may help to balance out how to divide the room for family versus kid versus parent activities.
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Visit a local home and garden store. You'll have the opportunity to try out several different color combinations before buying the paint. Bring photos of the room to show the paint professional at the store.
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Make a decision on your room's color based on your research, and paint the room.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit paint brush image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
