Finding the Right Color for Your Home

You can transform the entire appearance of your home with the right paint colors. The key is knowing which paint colors are right for your home and in which color combinations.

Think about what kind of effect you want to achieve and what kind of impression you hope to make. Are you looking for something peaceful and harmonious or do you want to create a bold and bright impact? Do you want to fit into a conservative, historical neighborhood, or do you want to explore a broad range of color choices? Are you going to live in the house forever or do you plan on selling in the near future? In the latter case, you might want to paint in neutral colors; potential buyers may not prefer the same colors and may be put off from buying if you paint in bright, bold colors.

Understanding Color Schemes

A Monochromatic Color Scheme.  Here you use the same color together with its tints and shades

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An Analogous Color Scheme This Scheme is made up of colors lying next to each other on the color wheel.   A Complementary Color Scheme This scheme is made up of colors lying directly opposite to each other on the color wheel.

Consider a chair or couch upholstery and play with colors within the monochromatic colors scheme or for something brighter look at the complementary colors. The color wheel will help you understand these combinations.

Collect samples of different colors, patterns, and textures. Try to put together different or unusual combinations and see how they match up.  Just about anything can be matched to a paint color.