Blu Decorating With Color-Questions to Ask Yourself

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Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing Colors

When deciding what colors you want to use when painting or decorating, there are tools to help, but no law as to what you can and cannot do. If you have problems finding what works and what doesn't use the following suggestions to help.

Some questions to ask yourself when decorating with color:

Where do you spend most of your time?
What effect do you want in your room?
Is there a style or theme you are going with?
What kind of mood do you want in that particular room?
What kind of furniture and accessories are going to be in the room?

Where do you spend most of your time?

Obviously you want a comfortable feel in the place you will be spending most of your time. If bright yellow gives you a headache after a while, if would be wise not to paint that room bright yellow. Choose a color that will accent the furniture and accessories in your rooms. If you have a lot of light colored furniture, but don't want to wash it out with white walls, paint the walls a light tan, coral, light yellow, purple - something to give it some color. Add some pillows to couches or chairs that compliment your walls. Consider what you will be hanging on the walls as well before you choose a color of paint. Make it 'comfortable' - a room that makes you happy, not edgy or sleepy. Choose colors you like to see. It is said that colors effect our moods (view what experts say about colors and moods). Many business and hotels have taken this into account when choosing colors (paint or furniture and accessories) for their establishments.

What effect do you want in your room?

Do you want it to draw attention and creat conversation? Do you want it to be the main gathering place for your parties because it has a 'lively' feeling? Maybe you want it to be peaceful since it's your reading room or sewing room. This will play a large part in choosing the colors you use in this room. This is where you look into the warm and cool shades of colors (read about warm and cool colors here). Again, if you are doing a more 'light or neutral' room, but don't want it washed out with everything being one color-throw some accessories or paintings or pillows in the room with some color to them to add that extra touch.

Is there a style or theme you are going with?

This is more of an obvious question. If you are doing old-world style, bright oranges and yellows won't work. If you are doing a modern/contemporary theme, country quilts won't be the choice you want to make. Look through magazines and books if you are trying to create a certian style or theme and get ideas on what colors are used and best reflect the style you are aiming for.

What kind of mood do you want in that particular room?

This goes with the 'effect' of a room. If you want it to be a place of relaxation and serenity - softer hues will work best. If you want your game room to be a little more 'loud and upbeat' to go with the excitement of playing pool, dart, watching sports - then brighter or darker colors will best compliment that mood (view what experts say about colors and moods).

What kind of furniture and accessories are going
to be in the room?

Complimenting furniture and colors will be a big consideration, since it's what will catch the eye when you first walk in a room. You don't neccessarily want to see a rose colored couch against a bright yellow wall or even an orange wall. If your furniture has patterns, choose a color from that pattern for painting your walls and for finding accessories to accentuate that color. If you have light pink carpet, a dark green couch and country yellow walls - you may have a disaster on your hands. Let all the colors compliment eachother. To know which colors compliment eachother from the color wheel click here. Again, there are some things you can get away with and if you have an eye for decorating, it will be easier to notice right and wrong. But if you don't have that eye - ask a friend for help so you don't make decisions that you'll want to change in a month. If you find you have many different types of accessories, even furniture, see how you can separate them with end tables or plants. Do they all have to be in the same room? If you have a lot of small nik-naks that are a variety of styles, put them in a cabinet or on a shelf all together, so they're not spread out across the room creating and 'eye soar'.