by Jamie McCormick

Created on: June 05, 2009   Last Updated: February 15, 2010

Whether you've just moved into a new space, or you simply want to make your old space feel new again, a fresh paint scheme can do wonders for both your mood and the feel of your living space. Repainting provides a relatively inexpensive and easy way to create a whole new home for yourself. If you already live in a furnished space, there is no need to throw out everything and start anew. On the other hand, if you do not yet have your furniture or interior decorations, you do not want to start by painting the walls, then find yourself stuck without a couch for three months until you can find one in the right shade of red. The best course of action is to find the things you like – the end table that accommodates the proper number of cans but doesn't crowd out foot space, the lamp that is just bright enough and fits in the corner, the throw pillows that are cute but soft enough for the couch-crashers and the all-night movie marathons – then select your wall colors based on your furniture and accessories.

Before you start to look at specific colors, decide on the primary function of each room and the energy level you would like for the room. Colors affect us psychologically, and an understanding of those effects will go a long way in helping you decide on the colors you want to surround you every day. Warm colors – red, yellow, and orange – have an energizing effect, which can range from inspiring you to get going in the morning to raising blood pressure or aggravating anger. Cool colors – blue, green, and purple – on the other hand, have healing and calming properties and can create a serene, soothing, or sleep-inducing space. You don't want to end up with a bedroom that keeps you awake or a bathroom that puts you back to sleep in the morning, so matching the function of a room to the proper color palette is essential. Factor your own personality into the equation as well. If you come home from a stressful day at work and are frazzled and ready to unwind, you want the room you plop down in to soothe you. But if you have a tendency to come home exhausted and ready for a nap, you may want to warm up your main room so it rejuvenates you after a hard day, allowing you to get done your responsibilities at home. If you are typically tightly wound, or can sometimes be subdued or blue, choose the color scheme that represents the opposite, counter-acting your characteristics instead of amplifying the effects of them and worsening your

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