by Alizah Grace

Created on: December 17, 2007

If you face an abode of chalky white walls that lack the mirror of creativity you feel, fear not; painting personality into any room is only a few brushstrokes away. Transform your living space into sheer elegance, calming neutrality, or revitalizing brightness with specific palettes. The subliminal visual impact of color injects vibrant mood into the smallest of rooms or the largest of homes.

Consider the effect that you want. Light colors will make your room appear larger and more open, while darker shades will draw more attention to detail and accent alcoves. Also, be aware that darker colors fade faster. Too little color will make your house seem two-dimensional, while too many for trims and siding will seem too busy. Contrasting colors within the same family of hues will accent architectural details best. When picking a sheenglossy, semi-gloss or flatknow that the glossier the surface, the more imperfections are revealed. If you are uncertain about what colors to choose, make use of the abundance of color swatches available in the paint section of the store.

Stark contrasts like white and black add a sophisticated elegance to any style home. Generally, dining rooms and powder rooms reflect this chic palette the best. Polished metallic furniture, Victorian accents and glass artwork appeal to this color scheme.

Organic neutrals like earthy browns, deep greens and warm oranges host the perfect backdrop for versatility in furniture selection. The feel is warm and inviting, and anything from woods to taupe suede to blacks fit comfortably into this palette. Magnificent artwork in rusts or copper metals incorporate perfectly here.

Contemporary can be done in a variety of ways, but an invigorating one is with deep oranges and dark brown accents. Clean lines, simple wood furniture and green plants reflect the delicious spice of this palette. Too much color will make the room appear smaller, so just one or two accent walls of the strongest hue is the best choice.

Calming serenity can be achieved with cool, pastel shades and crisp white. Often reminiscent of summery beach days, many accent colors can be used in decoration, like pale salmon, beiges, mossy greens and periwinkles. Spaces usually appear larger with these lighter hues. Use white sparingly, only to make the cool colors stand out.

Be knowledgeable of terms to make purchasing a color easier. The hue is the basic colorblue, green, yellow, red, etcetera. Tone refers to the density and reflective quality of a color.

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