Does anyone know how I can come up with new color schemes for my entire house?

Question

Im moving and need to change it all anyone know how to pick colors that go together or a web site on the subject. Ive heard pick three colors to decorate a room, and purple goes with silver and black - I need something like a list of these rules! PLZ HELP I guess im not that great at decorating!

Answer 1

For your new house, or for your old house?

If it's for your old house, I've read many articles that recommend you paint everything cream colored, or another neutral color. That way, buyers will think of what *they* would do with the house when they look at it.

If it's a new house . . . that's tougher. Look through decorating magazines (many libraries carry them) and take notes about rooms that you like. Note what color they are and how they make you feel. There will generally be one dominant color, and two accent colors that "go" with the dominant color, and everything else will be neutral. The patterned pieces (the sofa or cushions) will often combine all three colors pleasingly.

Choose a color that makes you happy.

I like dark evergreen, and I'd combine it with gold (we've got logs in a honey-gold color in our house), and dark browns, with lots of fluffy white sheepskins to lighten up the place. And maybe a little red to help "pop" things together.

However, I'm thinking that's a little too heavy. THE color of the year seems to be a light-blue with just a touch of green -- "robin's egg"? I LOVE that color, so even though it's very trendy (hello, Avocado Seventies!), I think I could live with it. I'm going to paint a couple of walls that color, and if I get sick of it, it'll be easy to re-paint. I'll "pop" it with lemon-yellow and orange -- I've got lemon trees and orange trees in the kitchen and living room, so I think it'll give me a really nice, tropical kind of feel.

Just study, study, study, then take note of what makes you go "Wow, that's a great-looking room!" You're doing it to please yourself.

(-: Purple, silver and black sound like prom colors, though.

Answer 2

I am an architect with 38 years of experience (yikes!) and can give you some basics right here. I suggest picking a main color that is pale and "background," such as off-white. As a rule, the smaller the space, the lighter the color, if only to add a feeling of spaciousness. Then, look at your furniture for a second color. Use some version of the dominant color for an accent or trim color. For example, if your sofa or draperies are beige, use a similar beige on one wall or the trim. (Remember there are yellow-y beiges and greyish beiges, so you want to get color swatches or carry a piece of fabric to the paint store). The color doesn't have to match but should feel compatible. This is all you really need, but if you want a third color, get a shade darker of either one for the other element (the trim or the accent, depending on what you did with your second color). If you are unsure, keep it simple!

Almost everything looks good with off-white, so that is safest, especially if you have a lot of color in your possessions. You can get color chips at the paint store and bring them home. Hold them up or tape them to the wall and live with them for a few days, in your own home's lighting conditions, thinking about them as you go by. Remember, a lot of a strong or dark color is a lot to live with, so use it sparingly.

Here's something I have done in my own home, where the ceilings are tall. I have a little darker paint shade on the ceilings. Because the color looks different on horizontal surfaces from how it looks on vertical surfaces, it adds great richness to the room without changing it.

Here's another tip: If you have a tiny room that is closing in, work in a large mirror, again for a spacious feeling.

Finally, spend a couple of dollars and buy a magazine like House and Garden at the grocery this weekend and just look at it for ideas. Good luck and have fun!

Answer 3

Nautical doesn't really go with a country/rustic theme Britt. You could use some deep burgundy or forest green in there to go with the navy. If you wanted it brighter, you could use a soft yellow. Yellow and navy can be beautiful together. Then you could go through the rest of your house with some earthy colors like greens, browns, reds and yellows. I suggest taking a trip to Barnes and Noble and get a pile of books and a cup of coffee, then sit there and just leaf through looking for what you like. Magazines are helpful too. Congrats on your new house! We're doing the same thing and that's pretty much my decor also. (Except we weren't lucky enough to score the free tile!)

Answer 4

my suggestion to you is go to a paint store and get some color samples. hold colors you like next to each other and see what you think. if it looks good to you then consider it. there is an old saying that goes like this. beauty is in the eye of the beholder. it's your home if you like it do it. if you don't trust yourself get a lady friend or two to help. in my experience most women are good at decorating and probably would be happy to give you some ideas if you ask. good luck.

Answer 5

you need to base the paint colours on what is in the house or going in to the house, I wouldn't suggest just picking coulours you like and then hoping that it goes with your furniture or cabinets or flooring O.K.
if you are going to be buying all new furniture then I suggest just going out and picking pieces that you love first and then choose your paint colours from there.
so for example If I said that ...looks perfect in my kitchen, it might look terrible in your kitchen because your floors, counters etc, are completely different than mine.
and besides that if I said brown is nice, well there are only houndreds of shades of brown, so which one?
Do you know what the carpet or wood etc, the house is? and what colour furniture you are going to use?
then I can totally help you.

Answer 6

go to behr.com. for 4.95 for the year you can upload photos of everything you want to paint and view it in the actual space, it has saved me from spending a geat deal of wasted time and money