by Cheryl Mace

Created on: June 12, 2009   Last Updated: July 11, 2009

Living in a rental can be a real bore, but when my husband and I bought our first home it was a adventure. Going to home improvement stores for me was a real treat due to all of the color swatches that were availible.

Then one day it hit me. No matter what color I put on the walls, I only had to go back to the store if the color got boring, or if I wanted to change my decorating scheme. It is true when people can tell the kind of person you are by the color of your walls. Earthtones and neutral colors are best associated with grounded, relaxed people, while the bold colors are for the risk takers with high energy.

My pockets are always full of colored peices of paper, for the prospects of changing the color of one of my rooms. Sunlight plays a big role in changing the color. I always bring the samples home and tape them to the wall for the day, walking past them too see how it will reflect on the walls. But don't just stop there. Artifical light needs to be checked also. Put the sample beside the lamp, then across the room. This should give you a pretty good clue on if that color is right for you.

No matter how many times I have changed the color I still have to look at the carpet, my furniture, any window treatments. Some things do have to be changed, but this can be very inexpensive, whether it is a new rug, and some throw pillows or different curtains and some acsessories on the walls. The point is you can change the look of a room for pennies on the dollar. As my dad used to tell me "K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Sweetheart".

Here is an example of taking risk with the old paint brush: My stepdaughters wanted to change the color of their room, so I took them out to a paint store and showed them all there was to offer. They were a little dumbfounded when they saw how many there was to choose from. So we sat for two hours while they debated on what they were looking for. Finially, they had decided on one. It was called 'Rasberry Fizz' [the name says it all], I agreed but I didnt want the ceiling to say "Hey, what about me?" so we opted for a second color for the ceiling. It was a calming lilac, and believe it or not, the room looked beautiful once we were done. I didn't stop there. I wanted to help the eyes go from walls to ceiling, so I took a pack of blank CD's and hung them from small cup hooks up there, so with that came alot of reflecting light. I must say for two teenage girls it was perfect for them. Taking a chance with a color in your home can make a world of difference.

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