As much as we all would like to totally re-decorate our homes every year to keep up with the latest looks and fun colors, most of us don’t have the budget to do so. But, just by painting a new color scheme, you can dramatically change the look of any room – and rather economically, especially if you do it yourself. But, where do you start?First, remember that color is intensely personal. One color might evoke fond memories and another could make you wince. Just because a color is trendy right now, if you don’t really love it, you probably don’t want to cover your walls with it.

Color for interior design tends to follow the fashion industry from the previous year or two. Some of the trends we’re seeing right now we saw on the runway not too long ago. So we’re seeing interiors done in greens – even the bright green apple color is hot. And red. Reds are everywhere. People are painting their dining rooms and living rooms in deep, rich Arabian Red or bright Hot Jazz. The reds look great with accents of gold for a more formal look or an off-white for a clean, bright feel. Burnt oranges, golds and yellows are popular, too.

Inspiration for your color selection might come from a design magazine. Or from the other textures and colors in your home, like the woods, stones and marbles that have become so popular. Look closely at the stone and marble. Typically there are hints of colors that can be brought out or accented.

A safe bet is to look to your furnishings, especially the accessories. You may have a neutral sofa, but if you add some eye-catching colorful pillows, the room is already brighter. Then pull out one or two of the colors to take to the walls and you start to have a designer look.

If you are used to all white walls and you want to advance slowly into paint color, a great look that we’re seeing a lot of is to pick a warm, cozy off-white shade and a corresponding slightly darker color. If you want to do different shades of the same color, Dunn-Edwards has an all-new color system, Perfect Palette, that provides an abundance of paint chips that make this two-tone selection very easy. Each chip shows seven variations of a color – three lighter and four darker shades so you can be sure that you have the right color with different hues.

Can’t find the exact color you want? Most independent paint stores can match the color of just about anything – from a fabric or wallpaper to a piece of art. The “instant read” paint matching offered at some hardware stores may not get the custom match that you like, so take the extra day or so for a true color match by color experts. Next, purchase a small test quart of the exact finish and color you think you want. Paint a good-sized test area (about two square feet), then sit back and watch it for a day. How does it look in bright daylight? At night in artificial light?

Once you’ve selected your colors and tested them, the next decision is do you want to hire a professional painting contractor or do it yourself? A great resource can be found at www.dunnedwards.com. You can search for a painting contractor by zip code, and find dozens of downloadable brochures with helpful hints for all types of paint challenges.

Then, when your painting has been completed, you can sit back and truly enjoy your new surroundings. A fresh paint job, especially with an all-new color or two, can really change the way you feel about your home.

Article provided to the La Quinta Chamber of Commerce – GEM Publication September 2006 page 19.

http://www.lqchamber.com/pdf/gem_sep06.pdf