How to Decide on a Color to Paint Your Room

There are hundreds of choices in any color range.

Nothing freshens a room like a new coat of paint. Thousands of color choices are available, and you might find it hard to decide what will work best in your rooms. Different colors can affect your mood, increase your appetite or calm your spirit. When you choose a color you need to consider several factors, including the room's purpose and its size, as well as your personal preferences.

Things You'll Need

• Paint chips
• Paint samples
• 2-inch foam brush
• Several sheets of white poster board
• Thumbtacks

Instructions

1. 

   Warm colors, especially red, work well in dining areas.

   Consider the use of the room you want to paint. Choose warm colors like orange, yellow or red for family rooms and social spaces. These colors can actually elevate your mood. Choose cool colors for rooms that should be calming and relaxing. Blues, greens and violets work well in bedrooms, studies and dens. Work with colors that are not obviously feminine or masculine in multi-use rooms. Consider blues, greens and soft yellows in these areas. Avoid blue in kitchens and dining rooms. Blue suppresses appetite, but yellows and greens are good colors in cooking areas. Red works in dining areas because it stimulates appetite.

2. 

   The color of wall can echo the colors of your linens.

   Narrow your choices before you go to the store. If you intend to freshen the room, observe your favorite colors in your decor. Choose from the existing palette in the room, or focus on a color you want to emphasize. If you are redecorating a room, choose a color from the accessories you plan to use. Bedspreads, upholstery and rugs can all provide inspiration for color choices. Collect paint chips of colors that you think might work and bring them home for consideration.

3. 

   Let your family help you with your decision.

   Ask your family for their opinions. Narrow your choices to three or four possible colors, and return to the store for samples. Purchase these along with the poster board and 2-inch foam brush.

4. 

   Small samples of your color choices are available at home centers.

   Paint a piece of poster board for each of the colors you have selected. Tack these to the wall and "live" with them for a few days. Observe how the changing light in the room might change the color. Move the poster boards to different locations and see how the color interacts with your flooring, your furniture and your window treatments.

5. 

   New paint quickly freshens a room's decor.

   Make a decision about the colors you have tested in your home. Purchase the paint and necessary equipment to apply it to your walls.

Tips & Warnings

• Magazines and home decor books can be a great starting point for your decision about paint color. Even your friends' homes can provide you with inspiration as you begin.

• Tack your poster board securely to the wall and out of the reach of children. Thumbtacks can be a choking hazard for small children and pets.

References

• Benjamin Moore: Understanding Color
• House-Painting-Info: Choosing House Paint Colors
• SeattlePI: How to Choose a Paint Color