Home Design Sense - Bring Life To Your Home With Color By H John Johnsen At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Why do we choose particular colors for our home? It is because we either like them or have seen them in a magazine or someone's home. Most times it is because we have a favorite color deep in our mind and may not even be aware of it. But, some of us have trouble deciding on which colors we really want to use in our own home. So, what do you do?

Let's take it step-by-step:

1. Look around the room and see if there is a color you like in the items present.

2. Take the item (or a sample) to the paint store and choose some color samples that work with your item.

3. Tape the samples to the wall in the room you want to paint.

4. If you are happy with the sample you should only purchase a quart at this time. Why? It is hard to make a decision from a small paint sample. Or, ask the paint store if they can provide larger paint samples.

5. Paint a 5' x 5' square and live with it for a few days or more. Now you can place other items and fabrics near the color to see how they coordinate. Also, you can view the color during the day and at night when colors change due to the lighting.

6. If you're satisfied you can purchase the paint, pick the sheen and paint the walls!

Also, paint sheen is another decision, but easy one to make. The sheens are as follows and are usually dictated by the room's use:

• Flat has no shine and it hides imperfections on the walls. But, it is harder to clean than satin or semi-gloss.

• Satin or eggshell have a very soft sheen. But can be cleaned easier than flat.

• Semi-gloss has a shiner finish and can be cleaned much easier. So, it is good for high traffic areas such as kitchen and bathrooms. But, also emphasizes imperfections.

• Gloss is the shiniest and best to clean, but it emphasizes the imperfections the best.

OK, now that we got past that, you want to know "Do colors really reflect our personalities?" Why don't you decide for yourself? Below is a list of colors and their respective personality traits.

Yellow = Idealist, Self-fulfillment, Lofty dreams.
Green = Moral, Balance, Caring companion.
Blue-Green = Sensitive, Exacting and sensitive.
Blue = Secure, Conservative, Trusting and loyal friend.
Purple = Polite, Vain and non-impressionable.
Lavender = Social, Civilized and neat.
Brown = Dependable, Conservative by nature.
Red = Aggressive, Vigorous, Impulsive in your mood and actions.
Burgundy = Ambition, Conscience and strength.
Pink = Romantic, Charm, Softness and warmth.
Orange = Adventuress, Good-natured and charming.
White = Simplicity, Neat and immaculate.
Gray = Cautious and non-committal.
Black = Dignified, Sophisticated and mysterious.

However, don't run out and buy the color that matches your personality if you already have colors in your home. These personalities are just a non-scientific way to look at colors and how and why people choose them. But, keep in mind that some colors don't work in all rooms; so be careful how you choose them.

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