TIPS FOR CHOOSING COLOR FOR YOUR HOME

Choosing colors for your home can feel overwhelming because the options are endless! You may feel equally drawn to completely different color stories or unsure of how much color you can handle in your environment. Maybe you want to paint your walls but don't know where to go from there. Maybe you rent and have certain restrictions you need to work with. Here are a few things I've learned along the way about how to settle on colors for your home.

Tip 1. Saturate your mind with images of interiors and color stories you feel excited about.

Pinterest is an excellent resource for organizing images you find online because it allows you to see all of your images in one place. You can then start looking for any patterns you see within your categories. Do all of your interior images have bright white walls with colorful accessories or are they toned down and moody? What colors do all of your images have in common? Are the colors appearing in small amounts or are your interior images saturated with them?

Once you've collected enough images and had time to analyze them, you'll pick up on the trends and patterns that you're drawn to and can then think about how to incorporate those into your own home.

Tip 2. Break up lots of color with neutrals.

If you have white walls, you may want to experiment with bold art and bright curtains. If all of your living room furniture is upholstered in colorful patterns and prints, you may want to stick with a solid color rug and pillows. Neutrals give your eye a place to land and help balance out a colorful room.

Examples of neutrals are natural wooden elements such as the dining room chairs and clipboards above. They allow your attention to focus on the colorful elements rather than create distractions.

Tip 3. Repeat your colors throughout your room.

Repeating colors throughout a room, or even your entire household, creates a stronger design. In the room above I repeated the light blue by painting a vintage frame and old wooden bench. I also repeated the pink from the bedspread in the throw pillow and pink poster.  The black houndstooth pattern in the second bedspread is repeated in a smaller pattern on the upholstered seat of the wooden chair in the corner and helps break up all of the color a bit.

Since all of the colors in our bedroom compliment each other, I can easily rearrange or add elements in similar tones when I want to change things up a bit.  I can also use the bench or upholstered chair in other parts of my house because I've got a similar color story in almost every room.

In conclusion, look for patterns in the things you're inspired by, break up color with neutrals, and repeat your colors throughout as you decorate. Most of all, don't be scared to commit to color in your space. It's one of the best ways to make your space uniquely yours!

SOURCE: abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/10/3-t.html