by Tracey Lloyd

Created on: November 15, 2008   Last Updated: April 07, 2011

What are the best paint colors to choose for a living room? Well that depends on a variety of issues, such as the size of the room, the aspect, whether you have young children who might make a mess and most importantly the general feeling you wish to create in your living room.

Living rooms are a place for relaxation, away from the stresses of the office or the kitchen or the traffic. Living room colors should reflect relaxation which is why quiet tones can sometimes be the best choice. Shades of light blue, pale greens and lilac can have a calming effect on people, pale pinks, beiges and all of the white spectrum colors are shades that are friendly, approachable and relaxing. This mix of friendly and relaxing is perfect for living rooms as it allows both family members and guests to feel comfortable and content while on the couch.

Soft muted tones in living rooms also enable you to easily keep up with furniture and homeware fashion trends, pale cream, ivory and pale blue living room colors can be contemplated with a splash of high energy colors such as reds, oranges and bright yellows to create a feeling of vibrancy within the relaxation space.

If you choose beige and white shades for your living room colors you can create a haven of calm and tranquility in your home. Use some light blue and greens as accent colors in accessories such as cushions or floor rugs and you can create a feeling of the beach being in your living room. This is particularly good if you wish to create a feeling of greater space in a small living room.

If you are fortunate and have a large living room, try using some of the darker quiet tones, such as pale olive green walls with stone colored furniture and lilac or lavender accents in cushions, throw rugs or even the plant itself. Using darker tones will create the sensation that the room is smaller and cosy without losing the relaxation effect.

Picking your living room colors should be a fun adventure, experiment, look for colors that you can live with and that fit into your lifestyle. Above all your living room should be a place to relax and your decor should reflect that.

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