I am an interior designer and a student of personal growth. I absolutely love working with fabrics and color. I find that color is the one denominator that can radically change a room from ho-hum to stunning. Color is what gives your home the warmth and comfort. It does not have to be wild, strong colors. They can be very soft and soothing colors.

However for many, choosing the correct color to paint their walls is a terrifying experience. They may have chosen beautiful fabrics for their home, but when it comes to the walls it is like a different animal. I really can see why a paint chip 2" x 2" is a little unsettling. I have gone into homes where they have purchased a dozen different colors and painted a 1’ x 1’ (if I’m lucky) strip on the wall all lined up like ducks in a row. No wonder this is confusing.

First, when you are sampling paint colors, you need to apply a strip that is at least 3’ x 3’ so you can get a clear picture of the color in a large volume. Also paint that same color in several different areas of the room, some in sun light and some in shade. You will be amazed at how different colors look when influenced by light. Colors will also change during the different times of day. You will think it is a totally different color from morning to evening. If you are considering several different colors, spread them out in different areas of the room so you can look and evaluate each color individually without the influence of your other options. Don’t over analyze the color just live with it over a few days and let your emotions make your decision. You’ll know when you feel it.

Now to what color. Before you chose, you need to ask yourself “do I want my walls to be the background to support all my beautiful fabrics, furniture, art, and rugs?" or “do I want my walls colors to be an intricate part of the color pallet by adding color?" If you want your walls to be a background color, you should stick will neutral tones. This does not necessarily mean off white. Neutrals range from light tones of beige, taupe, tan, and sage greens to darker tones as chocolate, mocha, ochre, rust, and moss green. If you’re looking for the walls to add a color statement, the color should be determined after you have decided on an entire color plan for your home. Usually choose the color that you feel you can enjoy in large doses. The next question you need to ask yourself is “how light or dark (the value) do I want my walls?" If you find you gravitate toward soft pastels in your wardrobe and enjoy the quieter side of colors, lighter value colors will appeal to you. If you enjoy richer and bolder tones, darker values will appeal to you better. A very important factor to keep in mind is the amount of natural light the room receives. With a lot of natural light, you can usually go one value darker than you would think. Obviously, the opposite applies with a room that receives little light.

Have you determined your color plan for your home yet? If not, select two colors that you naturally enjoy from your upholstery fabrics, art work, area rugs or drapery fabrics. Also select an accent color, your “passion or hot" color, usually red, wine, rust or orange. This is now your color plan. If you have determined that you want your wall colors to be the background, select a neutral that works with your color plan. Find a neutral that compliments your flooring color, cabinet and counter tops. If you want your walls to add color, select one of the easier colors you can enjoy in quantity. Remember, color goes a long way on a wall. It is in large volume. You may choose to paint your entire home a single color or select two colors to paint different rooms or accent walls. Accent walls are usually your focal point wall. I recommend that you change your values (light or dark) if you are using a single color. It gives your room more interest and dimension.

I am a big believer in also painting your ceiling. It covers a mass amount of volume and adds great warmth, so why keep in white. Usually your ceilings are a lighter value of the walls if they are less than 9’ in height. If over 9’, you may choose a darker value. Very high ceilings definitely need the darker tones to bring the room into a more personal scale. If you are choosing to paint two colors in different rooms, I recommend selecting a neutral color to use throughout all the rooms. This will usually mirror the floor and give the home a more unifying feeling.

I like to keep all my trim and doors white because white makes the colors stand out nice, clean and crisp.