by Amelia Forrest

Created on: November 13, 2008   Last Updated: May 28, 2012

When decorating it should be kept in mind that color plays a vital role in affecting your mood. Much like a bedroom your living room is a place where you can relax and unwind at the end of a long day. You want to feel proud of your home when entertaining, but also comfortable when it's time to relax. Choosing the right living room colors for you is most important.

Although neutral colors are popular in living rooms some people find these too plain. By mixing neutral creams, rather than whites which can be too blaring, with colors such as warm, deep, purples or cool blues you can create a room which is adjustable. The trick when decorating is to find a style that suits you, but which you are also able to adapt to current fashions.

Purple is traditionally associated with royalty and is great for bringing warmth to a room or adding a focal point. By painting one wall or a chimney breast with a deep purple you can add colour but also keep a light spaciousness in the room by painting the remaining walls a lighter colour.

Lighter purples are associated with calm and tranquillity and can be used in the same way to bring a hint of colour to the room or, to paint the entire room, as they are not so imposing. Light blues are also useful in relaxation. Some studies have shown that blue lowers the pulse rate which can make people feel more relaxed. Choosing a lighter color adds a cool edge to the room.

Yellows are great to brighten up a room. Evidently you would not want to paint a whole room yellow unless using a pastel shade but it is a fun color which is associated with joy and happiness. These properties make it great for a living room where you want to have fun along side relaxing.

You may prefer to paint the entire living room one neutral color and then use your furniture as a means of adding more flare to the room. This is easily done by adding throws and cushions to your already decorated room. Doing this is also a great way to keep up with decorating trends. It's also a great way to add pattern to a room, with out the risk that wallpaper brings of not being able to regularly change it.

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