• Choose a color scheme-Often what goes wrong for homeowners is that they do not choose a color scheme to work in so everything seems a bit off. While trying to decide on the right color scheme for a room or an entire home can be difficult, you can simplify the process by using a color wheel and narrowing down your choices to two color schemes.

These color schemes are:
1. Complementary Color Scheme-Complementary colors are colors that are across from each other on the color wheel, such as red and green, blue and yellow, or purple and orange. Rooms that are decorated with a complementary color scheme tend to provide a clear separation of colors and often are more formal and more visually challenging. Home decorating experts recommend that complementary color schemes should be used in the more formal areas of the home such as the living room or dining room.
2. Analogous Color Scheme-Analogous colors are right next to each other on the color wheel, such as yellow and green, blue and violet, or red and orange. Rooms that use an analogous color scheme typically are more causal, restful and muted in terms of their coloration. This color scheme works best in the more informal areas of the home. Family rooms, dens and bedrooms (places where you are searching for rest and recovery from the day) will look and "feel" great in analogous colors.

• Live with the color before you buy it! When shopping for upholstery fabric, furniture finishes, window treatments or rugs, you should always ask for a sample to take home to see in the space you are decorating. Then you should leave it in the room for a couple of days and see what the color looks like in the different kinds of lighting that are used in that space. Be sure that you pay careful attention to how the samples look during the times when the room will be used the most.


• Do not forget about adding some black! There is an old saying in interior design that says by adding a black element (a black box, lampshade, picture frame or other accent) you can clarify and enhance all the other colors in the space. In most rooms a touch of black can also add a touch of elegance and sophistication.


• Remember to pull from the pattern- To help you choose a color scheme, you should look at the colors in the largest pattern in the room first, (drapery, upholstery fabric, an Oriental rug or a large artwork) and then choose colors based upon that piece. It is important to keep in mind that this is much easier (and less expensive) than painting the walls a particular color and finding that absolutely nothing else on the planet, let alone in your room, will match it.