Interior Decorating: 3 Steps to Picking the Perfect Color

Color, the biggest issue faced by homeowners starting an interior design or interior decorating project is often an overwhelming task so I’ve broken it down into three manageable steps for you today.

First and foremost, when you’re selecting colors, make sure that you’re viewing colors on a white background to get a true sense of the colors before placing them on a wall.   Don’t wear colors that might reflect back on those paint colors while you’re making selections because a red top, for example, could reflect red on a neutral color giving it a green cast.

Second, consider natural light along with artificial light in the room.  Once you’ve narrowed down your choices to two or three during daylight, paint large sections of each color on the wall and leave it up two to three days so you can view the colors in daylight and after dark.  For trim and ceiling paint colors, look to the lightest end of your paint strip for possibilities along with whites.  A good rule of thumb would be to pair warmer colors with off white trim and cool colors with white trim.

Third,  even though you can marry two of almost any color together to create a color scheme, test the colors next to each other first to see if you like them and add a neutral color.  If you don’t know where to start with color, pull inspiration from a favorite item like artwork, a rug, fabric, jewelry or even nature and let the fun begin!

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