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There is nothing quite as exciting as getting together color cards and fabric swatches trying to decide what color combination works within the home. Some color combinations are surprisingly effective, other subtle though the joy of color in the home adds a perspective and atmosphere.

Going through the basics of interior design, this article will take you through the experience of deciding upon the color schemes for each area of your home, to blend in with other schemes throughout the house, making your house look well planned and professionally designed.

*Gathering information.
*Deciding main color scheme tones
*Comparing fabrics and soft furnishing combinations
*Deciding which effect works best
*Trimmings, architraves and baseboards
*Choosing paints

Gathering information.

If you pass by a paint store, take the opportunity to get some color cards. Many manufacturers differ although sticking to good quality paints is a must. Here, if the shades available in cheaper paints are nicer, never forget that you can mix colors with more better quality paints and do take the color card to help you with your color choices.

The next stop would be a haberdashery or material supplier. Here, if you visit with color cards and have a basic idea of the color scheme you are keen on, you can ask for different swatches of material to make up a design board of the rooms of your home to see how the different color schemes work together. The larger the choice, the better the options, and it really is only necessary for small swatches, and most reputable stores will oblige.

Deciding the main color scheme tones

It is interesting that different colors give different impressions. Take a stack of color cards and open them, and the eye will be drawn towards different shades for different reasons, though in creating a color scheme, this needs to be narrowed down to what is acceptable to the eye and gives a calming effect. Natural tones are very good because these can be blended to make different complimenting colors, blues can be cold, though warmed up to a gray they can add depth to a room. Yellows and the whole range within the spectrum of yellow/orange are warm and inviting colors. Whites are barren and cold on their own and give the impression of lack of thought and imagination.

For an example, one kitchen that I designed was white. The walls were white because the owner believed that all his paraphernalia added sufficient color. When the walls were painted with a light yellow, the warmth factor

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