Planning Your
Home Color Design

In home color design, it pays to plan ahead. If you don't want to make costly mistakes in painting and decorating, follow the proven process below...

Did you know there is the right and the wrong way of approaching home color design?

The order in which you specify colors will determine whether your home color scheme flows or looks disbalanced.

When remodeling or re-decorating their homes, most people get all excited about new colors and want to start with the walls. Don't make this mistake.

Choosing interior paint colors should be the last step. There are many other finishes that should be selected first.

The Right Order of Planning
Home Color Design

Tile, Countertops and Carpeting

Wall and floor finishes like marble, granite, ceramics, carpeting, etc. are more limited in colors than paint. Even though most stones are neutral in color, they still have undertones (yellow, green or pink). That means not every wall paint color will be a good background for them.

For example, beige tile with a pinkish undertone will look really funny on yellow-based wall color like gold, cream or tan. And that is why fixed finishes should be picked first.

It's much easier to find a wall paint color that will coordinate with your tile, countertop or carpet, than the other way around.

Fabrics and Soft Finishes

The second step of home color design is to choose furniture upholstery, window drapes, bedding and an area rug. While fabrics and soft finishes come in a wide range of colors, the selection is still limited - unlike house paint colors, which can be matched to virtually anything.

When you are not distracted by the wall paint color, you will do a better job coordinating the colors of your decor. At this stage, make sure your couch or bedding relates to the drapes and other fabrics. And when it's time to paint (not yet!), your wall color will tie it all together even more.

Accent Pieces

Step number three is to find decorative accents - throw pillows, art, vases and so on. You can introduce a new color with your accent pieces, or re-use the existing colors of your decor.

Just pay attention to how your new accents relate to the overall room color scheme. All the elements of your room must have something in common and look balanced, even before you paint the walls.

Wall Paint Colors

Finally we got to the wall color! If you follow the process above, this step should be easy.

Oftentimes, when you have all your finishes, fabrics and accessories properly selected and coordinated, your home color design will reveal the best wall color choices. At the very least, it will show you what color family to look in.

And if you are still unsure, see "Choosing Interior Paint Colors From Decor" or consult the paint color wheel to get more ideas.

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