Overcoming the Fear of Color
And Adding Life to Your Home

Article provided by Juli Roland of PaintColorHelp.com

Many people live with an all-white, off-white or beige interior for years, simply because they aren't sure what else to do. Afraid of making a mistake, they instead do nothing.

But that in itself could be a mistake: there's a growing body of evidence which suggests that a colorless environment negatively affects our mood, our ability to concentrate, and our productivity (gray office cubicles, take note!).

So how do you break the beige habit, and start integrating color into your life? See our helpful and easy-to-follow tips below.

Three Ways to Introduce Color
Which one is right for you?

In terms of color, schemes fall into one of three general categories:

1) Color in accessories only.
2) Color on walls only.
3) Color both on walls and in accessories.

COLOR IN ACCESSORIES ONLY

A good way to start exploring color with minimal risk and investment is by adding colored accessories to an otherwise neutral space. A few cheerful accent pillows, curtain panels, a flower arrangement or a rug will give the room immediate personality and spark. Further, it allows for easy, budget-friendly updates: all you need do is change out key items for a whole new feel. The more accent colors you use, the more lively the scheme becomes. For simplicity's sake, limit yourself to two or three different hues in a room.

How to know what goes together? Look to a favorite piece of art, a patterned rug, or a printed fabric, and pull out the colors you like most. The artwork shown here, courtesy of Z Gallerie, could easily kick-start a color palette. Use Sand Beach or Barcelona Beige as a neutral backdrop;

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Then choose a few of these shades for cushions, throws, window treatments, or other accessories.

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COLOR ON WALLS ONLY

Wall color is still the fastest and most economical way to change the feel of a room, especially if you can do the painting yourself. The more neutral your furniture and permanent fixtures like flooring or countertops, the wider the variety of color choices available to you. When the walls are the primary source of color, you can generally afford to go a bit bolder, or even get away with a pastel if that's your preference, especially if it's anchored by dark woods or a darker floor.

COLOR ON WALLS AND ACCESSORIES

This combination results in maximum warmth and vibrancy. However, the degree of vibrancy is highly variable, depending on whether the colors used are muted or bold, and how many different colors are combined. In general, it's simplest if you limited yourself to three colors: one dominant color and two accent colors. Or, you can inject variety just by using different shades of the same color, lighter and darker. For example, a pale celery green and a deeper mossy green.

Whatever color is on your wall should also appear on a couple of accent objects in the room. This quickly pulls the room together. Finally, take care to choose a wall color that doesn't clash with any adjoining rooms in the main part of the house. This can be a common issue in newer homes, whose open floor plans mean you see many rooms at once. One easy way to make the transition between rooms is by taking a secondary color from an accent object in the current room and flipping it to a wall color in the next room. Or, just flow into a complementary neutral.

Good to Know Before You Go
Preparing to shop for your new colors.

I advise my clients to assemble items from the rooms they want to paint or redecorate into an easy-to-carry format: this could be as simple as a couple paint chips and fabric swatches stapled to a piece of cardboard, or a plastic box with samples of granite, tile and other materials. Take a throw or toss pillow. A color photo of the space can be helpful, especially if you're shopping for something like rugs and need to visualize the item in context. Pictures also serve as a reminder of the room layout, and its view into adjacent spaces - useful information when trying to visualize where you might put the new paint or decor items.

If you're leaving the current paint color on the walls, be sure to take a sample of that paint with you when you shop. If possible, paint it out on a larger sheet - at least 8 1/2 x 11. The more you can see of a color, the more accurately you can judge it.

If you're changing the wall color, but keeping your couch, for example, take a pillow or other representation of that material.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to keep all these colors "in their head." First off, this is very difficult, even for experienced color consultants. Secondly, there's really no reason to do so. Make it easy on yourself: take samples with you. You'll save a lot of time and guesswork, and increase your odds of coming home with decor items or paint colors that are going to fit.

Finding Color Inspiration
What colors speak to you?

So you've decided to introduce color, but how do you select shades from the thousands of choices out there? Homeowners say this is their biggest challenge - just too many colors to choose from.

While it's true there are more color options in paint, stain and fabrics than ever before, that needn't worry you too much. Some of those shades will not appeal to you. Others won't really work with your existing furnishings or style of home. So right off the bat, you can eliminate certain ranges of color and start zeroing in on the ones that will suit you best.

Again, any major furnishings or hard fixtures (i.e. flooring, granite, brick or stone) in the space will determine the range of colors that will look good. But among that range, what appeals to you? Or suppose you're practically starting from scratch, with nothing but a white couch and wood floors. How do you get a direction?

Of course, one reliable method is to study home decorating magazines and even circulars you get in the mail from home furnishing outlets. Look for colors and sets that catch your eye; tear them out and set them aside. Going back, you may start to see a pattern of what appeals to you.

A less obvious -but quite effective- place to get color ideas is the fabric store. Because you can see large segments of color by unrolling a bolt of material, you get a real sense of what it might feel like used on a wall or as a drape. Just walk around and look, without regard to what you might actually buy. Do you find yourself drawn to a particular part of the spectrum, like cool, watery blues and greens, or warm, vivid corals and hot pinks?

Glance in your closet: do you gravitate toward certain shades in clothing? Would these work for a room? Even a favorite piece of jewelry can produce color clues.

Shopping the vignettes in home furnishing stores like IKEA, World Market or Pier One can be especially helpful. Some stores paint sample walls behind the display, allowing you to see both wall and furnishing colors together.

Nature is another source of potential color palettes: look at the colors native to your part of the country, or what's in your own garden. Selecting colors from natural materials like bark, stone, water or plants will produce a soothing feel. Adding in bright shades from blooming flowers will create a more energetic atmosphere.

Finally, let me share my favorite color secret: if buying an area rug, pick the rug FIRST, then base your entire color palette on that. If you like the way the colors look together in the rug, chances are good you'll like them in the room or rooms being decorated.

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Note the festive rug above: From one of my favorite sites, floorsandsurfaces.com, this rug from the Nolita collection offers many color combinations that could be translated into colors for walls, drapes, pillows or art. Paint colors such as these could be carried throughout several adjoining rooms, or you could limit the energy by using Blonde as a neutral between two more brightly-colored rooms.

Yes, you can create a scheme, then find a rug to match. But it is so much faster and easier to do the reverse. Remember that paint can be mixed to any shade in the universe, and even drapes can be custom-made if needed to get a proper match. But your rug color combinations are pre-determined.

Further, if you are working with a designer or color consultant, your choice of rug can give them a good idea of the mood you want to set for the entire room.

The Final Test
Previewing your colors before you buy or install.

Two relatively recent innovations have made experimenting with color easier than ever: Online color tools and sample-size paints.

Many decorating websites and paint retailers offer online programs where you can "paint" a pre-set number of surfaces in various room photos. While you shouldn't make your final decision from colors on a monitor, these tools are nonetheless a good way to imagine how a new wall color might look. Play around; try several color choices. Note how the different hues change the atmosphere of the space. Some will add energy, others will be calming or restrained. If a color seems overwhelming, try a more muted version of that hue.

The last step is to test the actual colors you're considering. Most companies now offer small packets or containers of paint for as little as $3 - 5. Take advantage of these affordable testers: it'll be the best investment you ever make.

Color can look different when you see large expanses of it, and can also change dramatically depending on your particular lighting situation. I won't get into all the technical reasons why, but trust me: It varies. Better to know in advance, than after an expensive painting job is done.

Paint at least a 2-foot square on a couple of different walls, or coat a poster board. The latter offers you the ability to move the color around the room, without having patches all over until you decide. Observe the color in daylight and at night.

After all these steps, if you're still having trouble, or you just don't have the time to develop a color scheme on your own, consider hiring a color consultant. In the Dallas area, PaintColorHelp.com provides in-home consultations and also works by mail on special projects. There may be similar services in your area.