Picking Interior Paint Colors

Active colors include yellow, orange and red. These hues work well in social and entertaining rooms. They make a positive, inspiring statement with their energetic and upbeat attitude. Reds and oranges excite and invigorate. Lemon and golden yellows spark creativity and are excellent choices for home offices and kitchens.

Passive colors are from the cool side of the color wheel. Blue, green and purple stay quietly in the background to calm and restore. Use them in rooms primarily designed for resting and rejuvenating—bathrooms and bedrooms, for example.

Neutral colors are the diplomats of decorating. They blend, combine and incorporate, bridging together different rooms and colors. Darker neutrals tone down other colors while crisp white intensifies them.

Beware of trends

You should love the colors you live with. So don't live with someone else's taste—pick colors you like! For inspiration look to your favorite paintings, a piece of furniture or pottery, fabrics, pillows or even fresh flowers. These personal color selections will make you happy.

Keep it simple — especially in small spaces

Two or three colors are plenty. When choosing accents, remember a little goes a long way. Use only one color as an accent. For example, choose a much deeper or lighter shade in a monochromatic scheme. In a complementary scheme, pick a color drawn from opposite sides of the color wheel.

Use wall color as background color

The key to picking the perfect wall color is finding a shade that goes with everything. Think of it as a background to which you'll add more layers or accents, such as flooring, furniture, paintings, fabrics, accessories, plants and lighting.

Accent trim, doors, windows, and ceilings with colored paint

Everyone tends to reach for white paint, but professional decorators will tell you that white paint can sometimes contrast too strongly with certain colors, and can even make the other hues appear less appealing.

Choose hues of the same value and intensity

When you're painting with multiple colors, this will help to avoid jarring contrasts. Forget the colors for a moment, and try to think of them as different shades of gray, from lighter to darker. The idea is to have grays that are all pretty close. Most colors can go together if they're of similar values.

In older homes, choose a flat sheen.

Flat paint helps hide the imperfections and unevenness that usually come with older homes.

Maintain balance

In decorating, as in life, balance can calm and comfort. Visually balance the colors on the walls and on other items in the room. Step back and arrange objects with care, in order to counterpoint their visual weight. A balanced room should be visually pleasing.