Have you ever noticed how much the color of a room influences the way you feel? Have you ever felt happier when wearing a specific color? The reason you have likely answered ‘yes’ to these questions is simply because color does affect our moods. The following color guide is an exerpt from Debbie Zimmer’s THE PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR, relating the impact that color can have on your living space. If you are eager to get painting, read each color psychology first. It will help you set the tone for the mood you desire to create in each of your living spaces.

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	• Red packs a wallop, physiologically speaking, increasing blood pressure, heartbeat and energy in most people. It instills feelings of intimacy and passion. Red also increases the appetite, which explains why it is used so often in restaurants, and why it can be a good choice for a formal dining room.
	• Orange, like red, tends to warm a room, but in a more friendly and welcoming way. As a result, paints in various shades and tints of orange work well in living rooms and family rooms.
	• Yellow is also warm and welcoming, but it is more attention- getting than either red or orange. For this reason, it is a good paint color to use in poorly lit foyers or dark hallways.
	• Blue, which is part of the cool color palette, makes us feel calm and tranquil, so it is ideal for use in bedrooms. But since blue works as an appetite suppressant (perhaps because there are few blue foods) it is not the best option for a dining room … unless you’re on a diet.
	• Green is another relaxing color that is much more versatile than blue. Light greens are ideal for bedrooms and living rooms; midtones are good for kitchens and dining rooms (many foods are green). Also, because green is calming, it is often used in hospitals, workplaces and schools.
	• Violet is a tricky color, psychologically speaking. Many adults dislike purples, but are fond of the rose family, which can work in many rooms, including dining rooms, bedrooms and libraries. Young children, on the other hand, respond favorably to violet, so this color can be used successfully in children’s bedrooms and play areas.

While this guide is a great place to start thinking about color, remember that color choice is a very personal matter.  Choose a hue that feels right to you, your family and your lifestyle.

30 tips & tricks for choosing, using and loving COLOR!   BHG February 2010

1.  “Pick colors using objects as your guide – an old celadon teapot, the burnt sienna in a paisley fabric, a blade of grass. It’s so much more lively than paint chips. I always, always, always start with a ‘thing.’”

2. When you’ve found the right color on a paint card, go a step lighter. Colors look darker on the wall. The lightest two colors on a card deliver more punch than you’d expect. Unless you’re after drama, stick with them.

3. Using different shades of a color – such as various blues – is an easy way to pull a room together. To prevent monotony, vary the textures (play suede against silk) and add a pop of a different color in a pillow, throw or vase.

4. Follow the rule of three. When you pick a color, use it at least three times in a room.

5. “Put things in context. If it’s a fabric that’s going on a horizontal surface, look at it horizontally. Whatever it is, step back six feet and look at it from a distance. Looking at a swatch, a pillow, a curtain, or a rug six inches from your eye is different than seeing it as you step into the room.”

6. Camouflage a hodgepodge of surfaces – an awkward dormer door, wimpy crown molding, or an ugly chair rail – by painting them the same color as the wall.  They’ll fade away.

7. “Think of hallways as palate cleansers – the sorbet that’s served before diving into the next course. Keeping them neutral allows you to branch into any color in rooms that flow off them.”

8. Don’t sweat slight color variations between fabrics and walls. “The best rooms are slightly off – stronger, lighter, softer, just not a spot-on match to a swatch.”

9. When you’re spreading color around a room, think about proportion. If you’re using three colors, try a 70/20/10 distribution, with the highest percentage going to the lightest color. For two colors, go 70/30.

10. Store fabric, wallpaper, and paint swatches in a notebook, binder, or pencil pouch so they’re handy when you shop. To visualize your scheme, cut fabric swatches (or brush paint strokes) relative to the size they’re used in the room – large ones for curtains, small ones for pillows.

11. “Break up a room of matchy-matchy wood furniture with one painted piece. It doesn’t have to be a bold color. I like to combine natural wood tones with black.”

12. “I’m always drawn to colors I wear. Look in your closet. You are your own inspiration for color.”

13. The back of a fabric, curtain, comforter, or area rug is sometimes more interesting – and toned down – than the front. If no telltale signs like hems will show, go ahead and flip it. Designers do it, and so can you.

14. FROM THE PROS: If you could choose just one paint color for walls, what would it be?

-Classic Gray 1548, Benjamin Moore. “Even on a dreary day this gray looks good.”

-Savory Beige, 3002-10C, Valspar. “Even the biggest color-phobes can commit to this pale tan.”

-Sea Salt SW6204, Sherwin Williams. “Soft, soothing and like sea glass where it can go blue or green.”

-Blue Arrow, 5001-3C, Valspar, “Easy on the eye, easy to live with. It’s a robin egg’s blue-green with a bit of muddiness.”

-Clay Beige, OC-11, Benjamin Moore. “A neutral that’s not boring! It’s a chameleon. It can read warm or cool and looks great in any light.”

See these great go-to colors from the pros at BHG.com/procolortips

15. Top a lamp with a colored or patterned shade. Suddenly your room will seem more alive and vibrant.

16. FROM BHG READERS: What color have you liked as much on walls as on the paint chip?

-Honeybird, 300B-5, Behr, “It has warmth without being too yellow. Six years later I still love it.”

-Empire State, F16-3, Dutch Boy. “This gray is great with anything and in any room.”
-China Doll, SW 7517, Sherwin-Williams. “I tried it on a recommendation from a friend. Beautiful.”

-Applesauce Cake, 316-5 Pittsburgh Paints. “Loved the name, loved the sample, love it in my kitchen.”

-Butter Cookie, W035, Dutch Boy. “This is the most perfect neutral!”

-Toasted Almond, 414-3, Pittsburgh Paints. “I had a crazy, difficult time finding the perfect tan, but this was a winner! My parents have now used it in their home, and they love it, too.”

17. “Everyone thinks of walls when they think of color. But using color in accessories – rugs, pillows, art – makes an amazing impression without going crazy on the walls.”

18. Get out the digital camera. It’s amazing how a photo can point out problem spots. Add some colorful accessories, take a photo, and compare.

19. Bring in fresh flowers. They’re color without any commitment.

20. Yes, those sample-size containers of paint are worth the few bucks for testing colors. Both Lowe’s and Home Depot now have samplers for $3 to $4 each. They’re handy for little paint projects and touchups, too.

21. “In a small room, keep walls the same color as the primary upholstered furniture. The room will seem twice the size.”

22. White brightens whatever it’s with, but it can also be harsh. Try off-white instead. “When you put a warm white next to a color, it will still look bright and crisp.”

23. “The era of the bright white ceiling is over.” Paint the ceiling a shade lighter than walls to visually raise it and avoid a jarring stop-start. Go a shade darker to bring it down and add coziness.

24. Art and fabric are great building blocks for a palette. Look closely at the item, then pull out the background colors to use as room accents. Pulling the dominant color can be too much of a good thing.

25. “When choosing colors for a bedroom, pick out the bedding first and go from there.”

26. Paint is the least expensive mistake you can make. Be brave. The worst case scenario is that you’ll have to repaint.

27. To tell if a color has a pinkish, grayish, or greenish cast, look at similar color swatches side by side. It’s all about comparison.

28. Think of neutrals as peacemakers. They can help colors get along.

29. Wallpaper or paint the inside of a bookcase to set off what’s displayed. “I used yellow wallpaper in a white built-in and wrapped the same paper around lampshades.”

30. The two schools of thought for testing a paint color before taking the plunge: 1)Paint the wall that gets the most natural light. If you like it in the amplified light, it should work on all the walls. 2) Paint a piece of foam core, then move it around the room to see how it looks in different light and against trim. (Use two coats of paint for good coverage. Poster board works too, but it’s floppier to handle.)