The color of any room in your homes affects how you feel while in that room. Choosing paint colors can be difficult and prove frustrating unless you take the time to answer some questions before going out to select your paints.
Start by considering your furnishings. Rugs, furniture, window treatments and any other fabrics that are going to remain in the room should be the starting point for your color scheme. Repainting walls and ceilings is a relatively inexpensive way to change the look of a room without starting completely over. Choose three to four colors at the most (too many colors give the room a busy and cluttered look overall) and base those colors on what will go with the room furnishings.
Take into consideration that the ceiling does not have to be white. Typically, ceilings are the lightest paint color in a room because lighter colors give the feeling of more space and darker colors tend to visually "lower" the ceiling, giving the room a smaller, more intimate and cozy feel. The same applies with darker colors on walls. Dark walls make the room seem smaller while lighter colors make the room seem larger.
Warm colors include red, yellow and orange. Cool colors include blue, green and purple. The study of colors in ancient cultures found that red stimulates the body and mind, and increases the heart rate and blood circulation. Yellow stimulates the nerves. Orange was believed to increase energy levels and heal the lungs. Blue was found to be soothing and help alleviate pain. Purple was thought to bring down the body temperature and induce rest.
Orange is a combination of red and yellow. It is attention-getting, creates a feeling of balance, brings to mind fall and Halloween, expresses energy and excitement. This is a good color for a recreation room but probably not the best choice for a main color in a living room, dining room or bedroom.
Red is definitely the color of energy. Studies show that red stimulates conversation. It makes for a dramatic first impression. It also can raise blood pressure and hear rate. It can also foster feelings of hostility or anger, so choose the colors of the red family carefully and use along with more cheery colors to compensate.
The colors of blue range anywhere from a pale, soft baby-blue to a rich, deep royal blue. They represent calm and harmony, loyalty and security. Blue can also cause depression in some people. It can bring down blood pressure and heart rate.
Black is the absence of color. In the home, it evokes sophistication and formality. When combined with animal prints, it can become a rather sexy color. It is considered part of the neutral family which also includes gray, white, brown and all its associated hues. It is a basic color and therefore very flexible but should only be used in small doses unless you really know what you're doing.
Green is the color most easy on the eyes. It is suitable for virtually any room in the house, in the right shade. Green has a calming effect and has been cited as having healing powers, which could be why most surgeons wear green scrubs. In many cultures it represents good fortune. It is certainly the basic color of choice for Mother Nature.
Yellow is the color of happiness, sunlight and optimism. It makes a good secondary or accent color in most rooms, and is especially nice in a kitchen. However, if you have a temper issue, yellow has been known to excite tempers. Also, babies reportedly cry more in a bright yellow room. It is also a color that is more difficult on the eyes.
White is the color of purity and simplicity, cleanliness and sterility. If you wish to create a spartan, open minimalistic look, white is your color.
In conclusion, the choice of colors in your home is very personal and only you can say what works best for you. With so many places offering small, inexpensive tester cans of paint, why not try out a splash of it on a wall for just a bit and see if you like it in all the different kinds of light that it will receive throughout a day? If you change your mind, you can paint over it and move on to another color. Regardless of what you choose, refreshing your home with a new color scheme is a good investment not only in your home but in your personal happiness.
Start by considering your furnishings. Rugs, furniture, window treatments and any other fabrics that are going to remain in the room should be the starting point for your color scheme. Repainting walls and ceilings is a relatively inexpensive way to change the look of a room without starting completely over. Choose three to four colors at the most (too many colors give the room a busy and cluttered look overall) and base those colors on what will go with the room furnishings.
Take into consideration that the ceiling does not have to be white. Typically, ceilings are the lightest paint color in a room because lighter colors give the feeling of more space and darker colors tend to visually "lower" the ceiling, giving the room a smaller, more intimate and cozy feel. The same applies with darker colors on walls. Dark walls make the room seem smaller while lighter colors make the room seem larger.
Warm colors include red, yellow and orange. Cool colors include blue, green and purple. The study of colors in ancient cultures found that red stimulates the body and mind, and increases the heart rate and blood circulation. Yellow stimulates the nerves. Orange was believed to increase energy levels and heal the lungs. Blue was found to be soothing and help alleviate pain. Purple was thought to bring down the body temperature and induce rest.
Orange is a combination of red and yellow. It is attention-getting, creates a feeling of balance, brings to mind fall and Halloween, expresses energy and excitement. This is a good color for a recreation room but probably not the best choice for a main color in a living room, dining room or bedroom.
Red is definitely the color of energy. Studies show that red stimulates conversation. It makes for a dramatic first impression. It also can raise blood pressure and hear rate. It can also foster feelings of hostility or anger, so choose the colors of the red family carefully and use along with more cheery colors to compensate.
The colors of blue range anywhere from a pale, soft baby-blue to a rich, deep royal blue. They represent calm and harmony, loyalty and security. Blue can also cause depression in some people. It can bring down blood pressure and heart rate.
Black is the absence of color. In the home, it evokes sophistication and formality. When combined with animal prints, it can become a rather sexy color. It is considered part of the neutral family which also includes gray, white, brown and all its associated hues. It is a basic color and therefore very flexible but should only be used in small doses unless you really know what you're doing.
Green is the color most easy on the eyes. It is suitable for virtually any room in the house, in the right shade. Green has a calming effect and has been cited as having healing powers, which could be why most surgeons wear green scrubs. In many cultures it represents good fortune. It is certainly the basic color of choice for Mother Nature.
Yellow is the color of happiness, sunlight and optimism. It makes a good secondary or accent color in most rooms, and is especially nice in a kitchen. However, if you have a temper issue, yellow has been known to excite tempers. Also, babies reportedly cry more in a bright yellow room. It is also a color that is more difficult on the eyes.
White is the color of purity and simplicity, cleanliness and sterility. If you wish to create a spartan, open minimalistic look, white is your color.
In conclusion, the choice of colors in your home is very personal and only you can say what works best for you. With so many places offering small, inexpensive tester cans of paint, why not try out a splash of it on a wall for just a bit and see if you like it in all the different kinds of light that it will receive throughout a day? If you change your mind, you can paint over it and move on to another color. Regardless of what you choose, refreshing your home with a new color scheme is a good investment not only in your home but in your personal happiness.
