Interior painting can have disastrous results if you do not plan ahead.
Interior decorating can make any room feel more like part of a cohesive home, but it doesn't entail just accessorizing, choosing furniture and settling on a painting to hang. Interior decorating includes changing the house itself, and while you might not be knocking down any walls, the least you can do is give them a fresh coat of paint. A well-colored wall is sometimes the difference between an inviting room and one you avoid.
Consider the Furniture
Making your walls match what you already have is an important consideration when redecorating. Think of it this way: In a room with a yellow couch, a light blue wall may contribute to a sense of spring and openness. With that same yellow couch, a red wall may make the room look like a fast-food restaurant.
Choose colors that complement each other. While this can mean some varying shades of a single color, going overboard with greens or blues can make the room look like a forest---or a Smurf's house. Look at the furniture you already own and the furniture you plan to buy, and choose a small variety of complementary colors.
Tones and Effects
The color you use for a room's walls can have a profoundly subtle effect. That is, your subconscious reacts differently to visual tricks played by the wall's colors. For example, painting a room with warm, dark colors like brown can make a room appear smaller or cozier---this, then, is a suitable choice for a bedroom. Lighter colors, like yellow, light blue and other pastels, make a room appear larger and roomier.
Similarly, colors influence moods. Warm colors, for example, subconsciously encourage activity. A red, yellow or orange hue is suitable for a game room or den. Blues, whites and grays, on the other hand, are tranquil colors that help you relax.
Think Outside the Room
For more color inspiration, look at the rooms outside the one you are redecorating. Though you want the room to express a style all its own, it still needs to match the rest of your home; moving between clashing rooms has a jarring psychological effect, and it makes even the most independently attractive room look unnatural. If you want to make a drastic change to a particular room, consider making similar changes throughout the house so that the colors of the walls are cohesive.
Related posts
There are several places you can look to for inspiration when choosing an accent wall color. The key is to look at the colors you're already using. Chances are that the accent color you ultimately...
Several techniques can help that small, ugly room in your house look bigger, brighter and more welcoming. The basic rule of thumb is to use light colors in smaller rooms; dark colors make spaces f...
Create a sutdy in your own home.A study is a quiet room in the home used for reading, homework, computer tasks and relaxation. You can easily convert an extra bedroom in your house into a study. T...
Color schemes shows off a homeowner's creativity.When choosing a color scheme for your house, mix and match primary, secondary and tertiary colors. The three primary colors -- red, yellow and blue...
Open kitchens, like this one, typically connect to the living room.Whether your kitchen and living room are separate or create one big space, the colors you choose for main rooms help define the e...
