Perfect Colors for Your Home Interior

Here are a few simple steps to make the process easier and more enjoyable

Step 1: Get to know yourself

Step 2: Get to know your space

Step 3: Find your inspiration

Step 4: Get in the mood

Step 5: Discover your scheme

Step 6: Find your color

Step 7: Get your paint

Last...Stand back and admire your fabulous results!

When decorating your home, start the same way a designer would by thinking about the colors and styles you and your family like most. In my book there are two quizzes to help readers "Discover a Colorful You" and "Get to Know Your Stylish Self" but there are many ways to figure out what you might like.

One easy way to discover your true color & style preferences is to create your own style file. To do this simply go through your favorite magazines and pull out pages, pictures and magazine covers with colors that appeal to you. Just go with your first impression and make quick decisions. You'll have time to evaluate your choices later.

Once you have a stack of images to go through see if there are similar colors in the pictures. Are there many bright colors? Mostly neutrals? Predominately cool blues and greens? You will probably find that several of your pictures include similar colors and styles.

The images you react positively to can also reveal not just the colors you like but can also give you clues as to the mood that draws you in. More on mood in a moment.

Discovering what it is you like about a variety of images can inspire you to take a great idea right out of the pages of your favorite magazines and into your home.

You can find the two quizzes: "Discover a Colorful You" and "Get to Know Your Stylish Self" along with more ideas that can help you to find your perfect color & style personality in my latest book Color Confidence: Color for Your Home Interior

Whether you are beginning with a home full of possessions or one empty room, you need to look closely at both the permanent features and personal items that will remain in the space.

Forget about what is in the room now and imagine the feel and functionality you want for the room. If you have a clear vision as you think about each of the different elements you own you will be able to make decision about the items you already own. So decide if you want to keep it long-term, keep it for now or lose it. Once you know what you are working with you can work to incorporate them seamlessly into your overall color scheme.

I usually recommend narrowing down your options to a color family or two. By narrowing your focus you will be able to put your energy into finding just the perfect hue in that color family.

In order to decide you need to take into consideration the elements in the room that aren't going to change. For instance the color will need to work well with the color of the flooring or carpet. It will need to complement any furnishings that are in the room or that you plan to purchase. It will also need to harmonize with the colors in adjoining rooms.

While there are many things to consider the good news is that all of them can help you to hone in on the perfect color by quickly ruling out some color families that you know won't work.

Also keep in mind that the color you paint your wall is a backdrop for the room and does not need to match anything exactly so don't worry about finding the exact yellow of the little square in your upholstery fabric and in fact it is often more appealing if it doesn't match exactly but rather harmonizes with the elements in the room

You may already have an idea of the colors you want to include in your scheme. If not, then you can look around for something to inspire a fabulous color combination.

Many people suggest that the way to do this is to find a nature photo or piece of art but there are so many places to look for inspiration. I have listed 26 sources with links to post or articles that show how that source inspired a color scheme.

See all of the sources on my lens "Color Inspiration A-Z"

See how easy it can be to create a beautiful color scheme by taking your cues from something you love.

Before you decide on the exact color you need to define the type of look you ultimately want to create and the mood you want to set.

Sometimes this is easy. For instance if you're painting your daughter's room and she insist on pink and you insist on her being able to sleep you are well on your way to finding your perfect paint color because you know the color family (pink) and have defined the mood (restful, tranquil, dreamy) you want to create. Jump on the fast track and go right to Step 3!

If however you aren't sure what color you want then start by thinking about the mood or feeling you want to create in the room. Is it a family room that you want to feel warm and welcoming? Is it a kitchen that wakes you up in the morning and energizes you for preparing a meal at the end of long day?

For every room you decorate you are setting the stage for the activities and interactions that make up your life. So if you don't already have a vision of the finished room close your eyes and see yourself or your family in the room, imagine how you want it to feel and and capture that with the colors you select.

Once you have determined the look and feeling you want to create and understand a bit about how color can help you to create that mood you can start to think about which color families will work in your room.

A color family is the most general term for describing colors. Most people think in terms of Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Pink, Purple, Brown, Gray, White or Black when it comes to broad definitions of color.

But describing a color exactly requires more than just the general color family. It comes down to identifying three basic characteristics. They are: the color family along with the lightness or darkness, and the brightness or dullness of a color. This may sound difficult but it isn't. If you've ever described something as dark bluish gray or bright tomato red you've hit upon all three without even knowing it. We'll take a quick look at each characteristic so you can recognize what it's all about.

Selecting the Perfect Tint, Tone or Shade

I recommend three trips to the paint store when selecting your color. One to get all of the swatches that you think might work, the next time to buy some paint to sample and finally a trip to pick up the paint for the project.

I know that for many the only trip to the paint store is to decide on the color and purchase the paint all at one time but considering a rather high percentage of the paint sold is purchased to replace a color that someone didn't like the first time. Add to that all of the people that say they don't really love the color but didn't have the energy, time or money to redo it and I'd say the chances aren't very good your going to be happy with the outcome if this is your approach.

Okay that being said once you've got a color family or two in mind it's time for your first trip to the paint store.

The good news is that rather than feeling overwhelmed with hundreds of choices you have already narrowed your focus to one or maybe two areas.

Take along any reference fabrics or pictures that might help you but this is NOT the place to try to find the exact color. What you want to do is pick up a range of swatches in your color family that are close to what you have in mind to take home.

For example if you have decide on green pick up some swatches that in the paint store look slightly more blue than the color you have in mind and some that are slightly more yellow. Also some that are darker, lighter, brighter or more muted than what you have in mind. You might be amazed at home different the colors will look in your home so don't try to narrow your selection too much while your at the paint store. It is much better to do that at home.

Don't worry about taking too many color swatches. That's what they are there for and better to take a few extra colors than have to make an extra trip back to the store.

TIP: Don't match color in the store even if they have an area with special lighting. The lightening in your home is never the same and you must look at the color in the actual room if you want to get it right.

I used to use boards or foam core that I primed for my sample board but once I found Tru-Hue Paint Test Boards , which are a sturdy, premium quality white board I have never used anything else.

No need go to the trouble of keeping foam core or poster boards from curling up while drying and no need to wait for the prime coat to dry and believe me I'm not any more patient than you are when it comes to seeing what the color is going to look like.

Once painted, simply place your Tru-Hue Paint Test Boards around the room or on the wall to see how a color will look in your room while keeping your walls clean and ready to paint.

The lighting in your room will affect the way the wall color appears. This is why I suggest looking at your color in daylight as well as in the evening with your light sources turned on.

Most rooms have incandescent lights. These bulbs wash your room with warm yellow tones, which will enhance red, orange and yellow based colors and dull blue and green based colors.

A standard fluorescent bulb on the other hand brings out cool tones and has a bluish cast that can be unflattering. Fluorescent light enhances blue and green based colors while dulling red, orange and yellow based colors.

There are also warm fluorescent bulbs, which like incandescent add warm casts do not have the same power to intensify colors as incandescent lights.

A popular choice recently has been halogen lighting, which is a bright, cool white and while it tends to distort color the least but it can tend to add a slight coolness to the hue.

Once you have a color family or two in mind that you think you might like you may want to go online and see if you like the look in a room.

Almost all paint companies and many other sites have an online color visualize that can help you to image how a color will look within a room.

If you want to use an online tool to spark your imagination then I'm sure you can find one on my lens showing the top online Color Visualizers.

A visualizer is a wonderful tool for giving you an idea of how a color will look but that is all it is...an idea of the color.

You need to take that "idea" to the paint store and find a actual paint color that will produce that results you desire and I can almost bet in most cases it won't be the exact color number of the paint you chose online so be open to finding the color that will actually produce the look you love.

TIP: Your computer may be able to do most things with great accuracy and consistency however displaying colors is not one of them.

Use a Color Visualizers to 'Paint' Your Room

Martha Stewart remains a decorating favorite because she instructs us on how to make everything in our home more beautiful.

She has taken the same approach with her paint line. Unlike most paint sample cards that include a single color or several shades or tints of the same color, Martha's color swatches include stripes of two coordinating paint colors that would work well with the main color. [more...]

The name Ralph Lauren has become synonymous with American style.  He redefined American fashion and home decor and has always stayed true to his vision.

Ralph was the first designer I ever had a love affair with and he has held a special place in my heart ever since.  I was so taken with him that [more...]

I remember walking into the Restoration Hardware in Georgetown and seeing "my color" on the walls and I knew the secret was out.

The muted blue green that has been one of my favorite "neutrals" was now the signature color for this popular retailer and 'Silver Sage' was available for sale by the gallon for their customers to take  home along with several other paint colors.  It seems they had discovered the same thing that I had. [more...]

Doesn't it make sense that paints blended from eight to fifteen different color pigments would interact more with light than the standard two- or three-pigment paints?

CJ Volk thought so, so she created full-spectrum Citron Paints.

In addition to using more pigments, CJ also omits light absorbing black, allowing her paints to reflect a broader range of light. I think you'll enjoy how her multi-faceted colors interact and play with light. [more...]

What I like most about Ellen Kennon's beautiful palettes of paint is that her colors are blended from the seven colors of natural sunlight. Without light-absorbing black or gray, her paints reflect a broader range of light.

By using several pigments, rather than the usual two or three, Ellen creates colors that seem to change in different light and space. [more...]

Besides the fact that just listening to Christopher makes me smile, I enjoy his down-to-earth style of giving decorating advice. This same approach is reflected in the way he put together the colors for his signature paint line.

Christopher has developed what I call an "edited" palette. What this means is that rather than offer hundreds of paint colors he has selected 40+ colors that in his own words are, "Tried and true colors. Just neutral enough to act as a backdrop (to go with the things you love), but dramatic enough to really make a difference in any room." [more...]

Susan Sargent's color sense is simple and playful. She is a fan of rich, vibrant colors and is not afraid to pair a hot pink chair with zebra print or lime green walls with brown furniture.

A textile degree earned in Sweden and 15 years spent in a studio gaining hands-on experience as an artist, dyer and weaver ... [more...]

Visiting Cath Kidon's website is like going through my grandmother's attic and finding a treasure trove of beautiful floral fabrics and classic furniture items. What a treat.

Whimsical, classic and nostaligic are all adjectives that describe her unique, vintage inspired paints, fabrics and accessories for the home. [more...]

Just looking at the colors of The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company takes me back to my grandparent's farm and sitting  on the back porch with a glass of lemonade and a plate of homemade molasses cookies.

For over 30 years, The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company has been faithfully producing a genuine milk paint as close as possible to the original home-made paint made [more...]

Whether restoring an historic home to its former glory or sprucing up a teen's room, I think you'll be inspired by the palettes full of colors from California Paints.

California Paint gets a thumbs up from me when it comes to providing colors inspired by the historical homes of America.[more...]

Devine Color
A color solution company that believes background color should create "harmony without monotony and contrast without conflict."

Kelly Hoppen
Kelly has created the perfect palette of subtle, neutral colours which are both an end in themselves or provide an ideal backdrop for bold statements of individual taste and design.

Donald Kaufman Color
Designed by artist Donald Kaufman and Taffy Dahl have developed a unique way to mix colors to produce full spectrum colors.

Eddie Bauer Home The Eddie Bauer Home interior paint palette consists of 192 beautiful colors from four archetypal American collections.

Crayola Paint Crayola paints will allow parents to really put fun back
into their decorating and add a real splash of colour to their
children's bedrooms with a selection of amazing effects.

Disney Paints Mixing the magic of Disney with the quality of Behr.

YOLO Colorhouse
Premium, environmentally responsible paint products with a user-friendly color palette.

Bioshield Natural Paints
BioShield Paint offers non toxic, low voc (no voc) environmentally safe paints, stains, finishes and household cleaners.

Auro Paints

Harmony from Sherwin-Williams

Horizon by Rodda Paint Company Low VOC coatings that was first introducted in 1995.

Sydney Harbour Paint Company The finest
architectural paints, using the highest quality ingredients gathered
from around the world, blended by hand, we achieve uncomprised beauty.

Aura from Benjamin Moore

Sherwin-Williams offers historically accurate paint color palettes for wall, trim and accent colors.

Their are six color palettes for home interiors and four for exteriors. Shown here are two color schemes from the Arts and Crafts collection of colors.

You can get a quick look at the palettes as well as find links to download all of the color here...

Craig & Rose
Craig & Rose is a specialist paint manufacturer. We have been making high-quality paints and decorative finishes and the paint range includes decorative emulsion, eggshell and a wide range of special effects as well as novel and exciting finishes such as glitter, magnetwall, heat sensor and glow-in-the-dark.

The Old-Fashioned Milk Paint Company
A faithfully produced genuine Milk Paint as close as possible to the old primitive, home-made paint made on the back porch with skim milk or buttermilk, crushed limestone and pigments found around clay pits, or chimney soot and mineral colors crushed and powdered.

Farrow & Ball
The last remaining traditional paint manufacturer in Britain still manufactures paint to original formulations.

Heritage Village Colors
Replicating the qualities of paints used throughout Colonial America, Heritage Village Colors are perfect tools for the country-color enthusiast as well as for use in reproduction of 18th and 19th century decorating.