The Color Conundrum: Eight Paint Tips to Beautify Your Home

(ARA) - A fresh coat of paint is a great way to change the look and feel of a home, and it’s important that the thought process include more than just color schemes. Lisa LaPorta, designer and co-host of HGTV’s “Designed to Sell,” along with KILZ Casual Colors paint, offer expert tips for repainting your home.

1. Don’t Fear Change‚ or Color

There are no rules about color when it comes to your own home. Using neutral or earth tones for larger, more permanent or more expensive items like the sofa will allow you to experiment with paint and colorful accessories to liven up your personal space. Many people fear dark and bold colors for their walls, but it’s okay to get creative with paint color, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot. The KILZ Casual Colors paint line, for example, offers a one-coat coverage guarantee, making it easy to quickly and inexpensively update the look of a room.

2. The Two “C’s” of Design: Customize and Complement

A room’s color scheme should always be decided based on your personal tastes coupled with something more, like a piece of fabric or favorite accessory. Bring an accent rug or lampshade with you to the store for paint color ideas. Never pick a color based on recommendations from friends and family. Always design to appease your own personality, not the masses.

3. Paint Inside the Lines

Painting is the easiest and cheapest way to transform your home. Alternate taped-off sections of your walls with matte and glossy finishes of the same paint color to create vertical stripes. This creates dimension and elongates the space between your ceiling and floor. Using faux finishes, stencils and borders can also add personality to your home. To avoid peeling away new paint, carefully remove the tape as soon as you finish painting each section.

4. Be Your Own Monet

Believe it or not, a plainly painted canvas can be just as effective as an expensive piece of art. To tie the color scheme of your room together, purchase and paint several canvases with colors inspired by the details of your room - green from the throw pillows or brown from the area rug. Hang your homemade art grouped in a symmetric pattern or scattered across the wall creating a completely unique masterpiece.

5. Work that Woodwork

Cabinetry, trim and other woodwork add detail and dimension to a room, and finishing them with paint can make them more effective design elements. Use a semi- or high-gloss paint on woodwork to help emphasize architectural details. Priming and then painting trim and cabinets separates the walls from the woodwork, helping every carving and edge to pop.

6. Pick-Up the Right Accent

Home enthusiasts are increasingly keen on accent walls, but deciding which wall to paint is tricky. Walls with dramatic architectural features, such as fireplaces and detailed woodwork, make the best accent walls. Avoid choosing long walls and those with TVs or “holes,” like doors and windows, for your accent color. Painting them creates distraction and causes them to compete with other dramatic features of the room.

7. From Gloss to Flat, Finish Matters

Using paint with the appropriate finish can make or break your space. Kitchens and bathrooms should always be painted with a semi- or high-gloss finish for protection against moisture and everyday wear and tear. Glossy finishes tend to highlight a wall’s imperfections, however, so use a flat finish in bedrooms or dining rooms. Another good finish for bedrooms is KILZ Casual Colors Eggshell, which falls between satin and flat. And regardless of what finish you settle on, always use a primer first to seal the surface and ensure the best results.

8. Color Me Moody

Scientific research proves that colors affect our moods. Extroverts tend to choose warm hues when painting while introverts select cooler palettes for their walls. The soothing power of blues and lavenders work well in an office or study, and bolder reds and oranges work best in rooms where the action takes place, such as the family room and kids’ rooms. And dieters beware; pinks and reds elevate your sweet tooth, so keep them out of the kitchen.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Source http://www.homedecoratingsense.com/ideas/eight-paint-tips-to-beautify-your-home/

Is Your House The Right Color For Success

Writen by Kathryn Weber

Feng shui says that color choice can affect occupants' success

If your relationships are tired and money flies through your hands, your house might just be the wrong color. Maybe life is a constant struggle and you can't put your finger on the one small thing blocking your success. The answer could be as simple as the color on your house.

For instance, if your house is painted the wrong color for the direction it faces, you might be losing money. A good example of this is an east- or southeast-facing house that is painted white. This is a great example of houses that lose money or whose residents suffer from ill health or poor family relationships. White is the color of metal, and east and southeast are wood-facing directions. Because metal cuts wood (think of an ax or a chainsaw against a tree), the success of the house is affected.

House colors can be confusing

When it comes to choosing house colors, it can be very confusing to most people. Most are not sure what will look good or what the best choice is for their house. Feng shui provides several starting points for color selection because each color has a different meaning and direction associated with it. And, if you can paint your house a color that is harmonious with the direction it faces, you will help create a beneficial environment in the home, and help harmonize it with the environment, thereby making life go smoother and easier.

For example, color in feng shui means different things. Black is the color of money, but a black house won't necessarily make you rich. However, a house that faces north and is painted white with black trim on the shutters and front door, and has brass trimmings, is a perfect example of a house that is harmonized with its environment. That's because white is a metal color and metal makes water -- making white a "productive color" for a house.

So, by being harmonious with the enviornment (a north house painted a north color), the more you increase your chances that north-related benefits will come to you: more job opportunties, career advancement, satisfying job -- and possibly -- more money. That's because the color and direction are harmonious. Feng shui is often referred to as a method for creating harmony. Harmony – in feng shui – means that colors, elements, shapes, and numbers are all supportive and beneficial for one another.

A Feng Shui Guide to Choosing House Color

Use feng shui to harmonize your house color with the direction that it faces:

White (creativity/children): Good for west, northwest and north-facing houses as it reflects light well.

Green/Purple (growth/good health/wealth): Good for east and south-facing houses.

Blue/Purple (career/wealth/opportunities): Good for north, east, and southeast facing houses.

Yellow/Beiges/Gold (ochre) (relationships/stability): Good for northeast, west, southwest, and northwest facing house. Yellow is a color of wisdom and study and smart decisions.

Reds/Pinks (social status, recognition, relationships): South, southwest, and NE facing houses benefit from these colors.

Browns: Good for growth and longevity and excellent for east-facing houses and good for the south (fire) direction.

Taupes (relationships, stability, grounding). This color is excellent for the northeast and southwest because these are "earth" directions and taupes are earthy or stone-type colors. It also helps stabilize relationships and promote family harmony – particularly for the woman of the household.

What about trim colors?

White is always a good option, as is a lighter shade of the predominant color. Choose a dark door color from the list of corresponding colors. Or choose a darker shade for siding and lighter shade for the door and trim.

Why not paint a "stone location" with a "wood" color?

Remember, you always want to paint your house a color that is harmonious for the direction it faces. If your house faces SW (an earth direction), and you paint it a wood color, such as green or brown, this will create difficulty with the relationships in the house. Likewise, if you paint a south-facing house white, the residents might struggle with gaining recognition at work or have a problem with neighbors.

Selecting color by direction helps guarantee that your house color will be harmonious with its environment. Harmonizing the color also compounds your feng shui -- something you want to do as often as possible because good feng shui is cumulative. So, get out the paint brushes and harmonize your house -- and all your rooms!

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report Fr*ee "16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity."

Source http://get-better-home.blogspot.com/2008/09/is-your-house-right-color-for-success.html

Selecting Color Schemes

Choosing a color scheme for a room can be a daunting task at times, especially if nothing about the room initially jumps out at you. If you find yourself without a particular color preference for a room, you might begin by picking color combinations that are inspired by a favorite fabric pattern. Patterns usually have a group of complimentary colors, and using variations within the same group of colors throughout the house will lend your entire home a sense of harmony.

Another method for selecting a color scheme when you have no real preference is to start with the colors you already have in the flooring and on other surfaces that aren't going to be replaced. Ignore any color that you really dislike; in this case, everything doesn't have to match.

Go to your local paint store and find paint chip cards to match your colors. Then cut out the color samples and secure them into a personal loose-leaf notebook. But remember: paint chips aren't big enough to give an accurate picture of how a color will feel under specific lighting conditions, so you may need a larger sample before you make your final selection. The artificial lighting in paint stores also affects the appearance of color chips, and colors generally appear darker when seen on big expanses of walls compared to paint chips, so be sure to check your samples in the room and under the lighting conditions where your plan to use that color.

Balance the depth, darkness, and intensity of colors, mix cool and warm colors, and add enough diversity to avoid monotony in your color scheme. Adding variety to your color combinations will support your desired emotional and seasonal needs. You can change color emphasis with the changing seasons by varying a room’s accessories and lighting.

Bringing Exterior Colors Inside

Blending your home’s exterior colors with the interior ones will make the transition from outside to inside feel comfortable and natural. The welcoming color of your front door should be brought into the home through at least two small details or areas, to create balance and harmony. That doesn't mean the colors should match exactly. In fact, you don't want your colors to shout out their presence. The transition from outside to inside should be subtle, providing emotional support and creating a welcome feeling of balance.

Whatever colors you ultimately choose, remember that harmonizing those colors throughout the entire home is a combination of science and art. The key to success is in small doses of repetition, and adding touches of Design Psychology to the emotional undercurrents of color will assure a joyful home.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Joy_Fisher

Choosing Colors For Your Kitchen Decor

The modern kitchen is as much a gathering place for friends and family as it is a place to prepare food. As such, you'll want to set the proper mood in the kitchen for your gatherings. One of the important ways to do this is through color. Whether you want your kitchen to feel bright and airy, or small, cozy, and intimate, the proper choice of color will go a long way towards setting the proper mood.

Different colors have different effects on different people. Red will affect you differently than green will. By the same token, blue may have a different effect on you than it does your neighbor. When you choose your color scheme for your kitchen, you need to make the decisions on what colors to use. It's your kitchen, and you'll be spending the most time in it, so you need to decide what colors match your wants for your kitchen. These are only guidelines in choosing colors, the final decision will be yours.

Think of whether you want a cozy, intimate kitchen, or an more open feel. The right color choices can help. Darker tones will visually shrink a room, making it feel smaller and more intimate. Whites, light yellow, and other light colors can help to visually open up the space, and make a small room feel larger, and more open.

Earth tones are good choices for kitchen decor. Tans and browns can help to ground your kitchen, and create a sense of ease, and closeness. Earth tones are generally neutral colors, and will match well with several other colors as accent colors in the cabinets, trim, and kitchen decor.

Black should be used only for accents, and not used as the main color in your kitchen. Black tends to absorb heat, which may make the kitchen unbearably hot. Black can be used for an accent, especially if it is offset by white, which will balance the black, and it will reflect, rather than absorb heat.

Orange is commonly associated with food, and therefore is a good color choice for a kitchen, either as the main color, or as an accent. Orange tends to illicit hunger, making it a good choice for a kitchen color. Blue, on the other hand, tends to repress hunger. Because of this, you may want to eliminate, or at least minimize the blue in your kitchen.

Red should be avoided in the kitchen. Red tends to evoke feelings of heat, which in an already hot room, like the kitchen, is not a good thing. Red can work well as an accent if used sparingly, and if it is offset by cooler colors elsewhere in the room.

You have several areas of the kitchen that you need to coordinate when you paint or remodel. You certainly don't have to make everything the same color, but it is best to have all of the colors complement each other, rather than clash. A color scheme of two or three colors will work well. The biggest area of color in your kitchen will be the walls and ceiling. These will be your primary color that everything else will coordinate with. If you're painting the walls a dark color, you may want to leave the ceiling white, which will help to keep the room from feeling too small. The cabinets, if you choose paint over a wood finish should contrast with the walls, but at the same time, not clash with them. Once you have your walls and cabinets painted, then you can choose another color which goes with the first two to use for trim and accents.

Repainting is one of the simplest and most inexpensive ways to give your kitchen a new look. Before you start though, take some time to plan your color scheme. A well thought out color scheme will help you to enjoy your kitchen even more.

Go to Kitchen Decor Ideas for more tips and resources on kitchen remodeling and decor. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Sousa

The Right Paint Color For Rooms In Your Home

While many people choose one color for their entire home, some are more adventurous and want to include different colors. When choosing paint colors, you should be aware of the following in order to avoid mistakes:

• Size of the room
• Type of paint – flat, semi-gloss, latex

• Amount of sunlight that enters each room

• Who will be using the room

These factors play an important role in choosing paint colors that will enhance the look of your home and create a warm atmosphere.

PAINTING SMALL ROOMS AND LARGE ROOMS

The size of the rooms in your home is important when choosing paint colors because you don’t want to make a small room seem even smaller. Darker colors have a tendency to do this, so choose lighter colors when painting a smaller room.

You have a few more options when painting larger rooms. You can use a darker color, create an accent wall by painting one wall of the room a different color from the rest, you can create textured patterns, or you can add chair rails and paint the walls two different colors.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PAINT TYPE

The right paint type matters when cleaning, waterproofing a room, and when trying to create the illusion of more space. Flat paint is often used in garages, closets, and other rooms that are not used as often. This is because it is difficult to clean and leaves a room feeling incomplete. Flat paint is the least expensive paint, so if you have to use it, find lighter colors and add a few extra coats to create more depth in the room.

Semi-gloss paint is typically used in bathrooms, kitchens, and other rooms in the home because is it very easy to clean and has a shine to it. This paint is perfect for smaller rooms because it allows light to bounce off the walls creating a larger room.

Latex paint is used mainly for outdoor patios, porch railings, and shutters. It is able to resist water and can be cleaned easily. This type of paint does peel over time and it not recommended for indoor use.

LET THE SUNSHINE IN

If you have a room that does not receive a lot of sunlight because of a tree or roof overhang, painting the room a dark color will only make it seem darker inside. Paint the room a light color and the room will seem brighter.

KIDS, GUESTS, AND OTHERS

Who will be using the rooms is an important question to ask before you begin painting. Kid’s rooms should reflect their personality, while guest rooms should be cozy and simple. When deciding how to use the rooms in your home, buy the right paint and accessories so those who will be using the room will feel comfortable at all times.

Install-a-Veranda is Australia's leading supplier and installer of verandas, patios, pergolas and carports. For a free consultation please visit Verandas Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Jane

Tips for Choosing a 'Safe' Paint Color for Your Walls

Are you STILL thinking about painting your walls with color?

Many people are afraid to make the leap from 'builder's beige' to a more daring color choice. What holds you back? Are you afraid the color will be too strong? Not match your furniture? Or you'll become tired of it and have to start over again?

While you're debating the work involved you are missing out on one of the basic elements of design that can change the entire look of your room for under $50. Your tired furniture can become new again and a mismatched room can have designer flare! So, how do you choose the right color?

The first recommendation is to choose a tinted neutral. Why is that? Instead of choosing rich, deep colors for your first project, you will likely feel more comfortable with a neutral such as beige or gray which will not date the room or create a jarring palate that you will easily tire of.

However, when you go to your local home improvement store you will be faced with a sea of color swatches - hundreds of versions of basic beige and gray to choose from. So before you go, consider these steps to choosing the right color for you.

If you like the feel of a warm and cozy room - think of fireplaces, brown leather and sunsets - then you'll want to start with a beige tone.

Now, consider your furniture and accessories. What colors do you see? If you have a lot of black or navy you may wish to choose a beige with orange or pink undertones to keep the look warm. If you have browns or reds in your furniture, select a cooler beige with ashy tones to avoid 'overheating' your room.

If you prefer a cooler, airy look - chrome, glass and shades of icy blue - then select gray tones. Some stores will have a 'true gray' color swatch which you can use to compare with their designer selections. On comparison you will notice that each gray has undertones. Some will have blue or lavender tones, others may have green or even a hint of pink.

Using the same guide as stated above, identify the main colors of furniture and accessories in the room. Use green or pink toned greys with cool toned furnishings to avoid it from feeling like an ice box. Use blue or lavender undertones in rooms with warmer colored furnishings.

If you are really torn between beige or gray, than the easiest color to work with is green. Keeping it in a muted tone will make it very easy to live with, and will work with most color palates.

Painting rooms with color will bring the finishing touch to your home - don't you deserve it?

© 2005 Kathy Burns-Millyard. Want more decorating tips, ideas and advice? Please Visit http://www.DIYHomeDecorating.com where you'll find articles about a variety of home decorating styles, indoor and outdoor decorating ideas, decorating photos and much more! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Burns-Millyard

Choosing Color Schemes: Colors and Physiological Response

Because colors have tremendous emotional impact, understanding how color affects human beings can help you create a harmonious, joyful home. But studies have also shown that color elicits physiological responses, as well. For instance, the color red stimulates the body by raising the breathing rate, blood pressure, and heart rate, while light blue and dark green have the opposite effect.

Other Physiological Color Responses

Imagine you're driving by a green field of grass, punctuated by yellow wild flowers. you'll notice the yellow flowers more than the green grass, because yellow is the first color our eyes notice. Painting walls a pale yellow mimics a sun-filled space and creates a soothing feeling for the room’s occupants. White lace or sheer curtains, tinted with a tiny amount of pale yellow dye, will make a home feel sunny and cheerful.

However, bright yellows can cause feelings of turmoil and hostility. Therefore, bright yellows should be used sparingly, especially in high-anxiety centers such as kitchens. Also, naturally bright rooms that have been painted bright yellow may over-stimulate some people, contributing to angry feelings. However, that very same dazzling yellow room may be just the perfect place on an overcast day in a cold climate.

Red is the strongest and longest-lasting color our eyes process. Red is like a cup of tea or coffee; it awakens the senses. Dining room walls painted dark rouge red are not only romantic and festive; but they also help make food taste fabulous. At night, in low light, dark red is lavish and sensuous. In the morning, the same red enlivens and motivates you to live the day fully.

Many people are afraid to use red on walls because they mistakenly believe red to be an angry or blood-associated color, but red is auspicious, not caustic. Artwork often looks more important with a red background as opposed to white, and almost everyone looks great with rich red as a background color.

Light sky blue has a soothing effect on humans. This is because the pituitary gland releases tranquilizing hormones when we look at sky blue. If you want the feelings generated by baby blue but reject the color as “babyish,” add a little black and use a complex grayed-blue.

White suggests cleanliness and reflects the most light. It’s the purest of all the colors and psychologically denotes respectability and attention to hygiene. Brilliant white adds coolness to hot color schemes. Too much white will cause squinting and eyestrain, however, and it’s uncomplimentary to pale-skinned people.

Gray makes rooms seem refined and exclusive and denotes prudence and humility while bringing an aura of elegance. The only color that leaves no after image, gray instills creativity, imagination, and meditation, but should be avoided in areas where the natural daylight is often diffused by overcast skies.

Color affects human beings on a variety of levels, including changes in our very body chemistry. Therefore, a considerable amount of thought should be given to the color scheme of a room, depending on its use and the effect you're trying to achieve.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Joy_Fisher

Color Help: Choosing Color Combinations

Choosing a color scheme can be a nerve-wracking business. For instance, I anguished over the colors to paint the exterior of my Victorian house, I ordered every book on old house painting that I could find, and I discovered that they all contradicted each other on the basic “rules.”

Finally, the color scheme came to me. I would paint the house with my favorite colors! I love amber and red, so, fair gold and burnt red it became, along with temple green, dark-shutter green, dark amber, white, and black outlined windows.

Temple green paint for porch ceilings, believed to keep out evil spirits, is a historic Southern superstition and tradition. Even our local historic art museum had the electrical junction boxes painted in this color. Black outlining of the muttons and mullions (the wood window dividers) highlighted antique glass and added depth to the windows. This type of paint outlining is like eyeliner -- a makeup enhancement. The flat front edge of the window trim is painted in the sash trim color.

Traditionally, Southern porches were painted gray, but I like to feel grounded, so we painted our porches a deep green. This color anchors the porch floor to the green lawn, and during hot summer days, dark green is cooling. When the grass is brown during winter, green porches offer the promise of a green spring and relieve our gray days. Dark green paint with some black pigment mixed in gives a richer appearance than common green.

Grouping Colors for Harmony

Monochromatic color schemes, using varying shades, tones, and tints of the same color, give the impression of different colors and provide variety and interest. A single color scheme gives a unified, peaceful, and harmonious response. Monochromatic colors effectively establish an overall calming presence while tying things together, but can become boring or dull because of the lack of color contrast and liveliness.

The analogous, or side-by-side, color scheme adds depth, energy, and visual appeal. Using two or three related colors next to each other on the color wheel, analogous combinations are both flexible and attention-grabbing. The relationship of the related colors brings harmony to the setting. One problem with this type of color scheme is that inadvertently adding a fourth color spoils the effect. Analogous color combinations of yellow, red, and orange, although full of life, constantly heat up the space whereas, blue, teal, and green always visually cool a space.

Complimentary, opposite, or contrasting color combinations come from opposite sides of the color spectrum. A warm color, combined with a cool color, creates an interesting combination, such as yellow and purple, red and green, or blue and orange. They are also visually pleasing to most people. Because the two colors contain all three primary colors, the color scheme is complete and well-balanced.

There is a great body of literature devoted to color schemes, but if you're like me, the more you read, the more confused you can become. In the end, it’s sometimes best just to do like I did with my beloved Victorian home, and begin your deliberations by thinking about the colors you personally like best.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Joy_Fisher

Choosing The Right Paint Colors For Kitchens

A kitchen is a place where you and your family will spend a lot of time. If you are a person that often has parties, your guests will spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Inevitably, no matter what you have going on in the other rooms of your home, people tend to migrate to the kitchen. Therefore, this is a room that should sparkle. When designing your kitchen, you want to carefully plan out this very important room and carefully pick out the colors.

If an Italian kitchen is what you’re looking for, you’ll want to choose warm colors. You may choose olive greens or ochre yellows. You may also choose reds and oranges. Another popular selection for an Italian kitchen is a textured or sponged look probably in yellow. You will want to enhance these colors with pieces with pieces that will bring out the colors in the kitchen, but the right color selection will make one think of a Tuscan village just before dinnertime or Grandma’s homemade fresh from the drying rack noodles.

If you're more interested in a coastal look, there are particular colors that you’ll want to gear your kitchen toward. Any type of blue on the walls will be reminiscent of the calm seas on a clear day or the clear sky on a warm sunny day. To offset the blue, you may choose to incorporate some white paint to bring in the white gulls flying in the air or the white foam that tops the waves as they come in to tide.

Some people prefer to have a more contemporary kitchen. If this is the case, not only will you want an interesting and nicely contrasting mix of colors, you’ll also want to think about using some of the newly popular painting techniques such as sponging, ragging, or stenciling. These techniques go with just about any paint color you choose. Contrasting colors in the same room are very popular right now. You may choose to paint one wall a soft yellow and the next a deep, rich brown. You may choose an olive green wall to contrast softly with a purple next to it. There are many color combinations, which one you choose should be suited to your own tastes.

Whichever style of kitchen you prefer, it’s important to choose the right paint colors to go with it. Whether down home American, Mediterranean, or trendy and sponged, the colors you choose should be reflective of you. A well done kitchen will make the person sitting in it feel like home.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.homediy101.com where you can get more interior decorating tips. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins

Tips For Choosing Exterior Paint Colors

There are many reasons why you may be considering repainting the exterior of your home. Perhaps you are trying to sell your house, your original exterior paint is fading or damaged, or you may just be in the mood for a new look for your home.

New paint can add curb appeal to your house, and if selling, a new coat of paint on the exterior will have a tremendous effect on the value of your home. Remember that, in addition to increased house value, the value of your entire neighborhood will rise with a new exterior paint job.

Choosing the correct paint colors will be critical in determining the final outcome of your decision. In other words, taking the time to consider the effects of your color choices can be the difference between a stunning home and a tacky house.

Color Popularity and Rankings

According to a recent survey conducted by the Rohm & Hass Paint Quality Institute, the most popular color choice of homes across America is white or off-white. Second is beige, tan, or brown with 28% of people claiming those colors as their home’s colors. Next is gray, followed by blue, then green and yellow. Coming in last on the list is red and pink.

A similar study conducted by Realty Time Magazine offers slightly different results, with white again having the majority of votes, but followed by gray, then blue, tan/brown, cream, beige, green, yellow, and red in last again. It may be obvious that white is the most common color, because white is actually the color with the most shades (even though white is not actually a color, but a neutral).

Choosing Your Home’s Exterior Colors

Prominent Colors of Your Home There are many factors to take into account when deciding on new colors for the exterior of your home. Firstly, consider the colors that will be remaining on your home, such as the roof color, decks, or any brick or stone walls or structures. Narrow your options first by finding out which colors will go well with these prominent, fixed features.

Surrounding Neighborhood

Next, be sure to take into consideration the rest of the neighborhood. It is typically a good idea to stay within the same relevant context of colors as your neighbors. Remember that your home’s color scheme will have a direct effect on the value of your neighborhood.

In fact, some restricted communities, homeowner’s associations, and historical neighborhoods may have restrictions on what colors you may paint your home, so be sure to research any constraints your community may have.

Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent for N. Chasen and Son. The interior and exterior painting specialists concentrate on painting jobs throughout the Richmond Virginia area. For more information on a painting contractor in Richmond Virginia please visit their website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Budda_Oliver

Choosing Exterior Paint Colors

Now that you have taken into account the fixed features of your home, as well as the context of your neighborhood, you are ready to begin considering your available color options for the exterior of your home. Poor color choice can make your house seem flat, dull, and featureless, and you don’t want the colors you choose to overwhelm any aesthetic features of the architecture of your building.

Light or Dark Colors?

As a general rule, lighter colors typically brighten a house and make it appear more spacious, while darker colors can make the building seem smaller, but can also draw attention to the details of your home. Dark colors also absorb and hold more heat, so they may not be a wise choice in hotter, sunnier areas.

Muted tones are an increasingly popular choice. A few examples of these muted tones include such colors as Windsor Blue or Colonial Green.

Number of Colors

Most people usually think of a two-color combinations when planning on repainting the exterior of their home. This is a common mistake, and choosing three or four colors to incorporate into the exterior of your home can have dramatic effects.

Trim/Accents

A well-chosen selection of contrasting trim and accent colors can draw attention to architectural details as well as disguise any design flaws. Bright accent colors are a good choice for doors and shutters. If you are painting the exterior of your home in order to sell it, a contrasting door color is a major benefit, say many realtors.

Building’s Architecture

Be sure to find out what the original colors of your home were. Many times, people find that the original color combinations are the most appealing for their specific building type. This is especially true for historic homes. Ideally, Victorian style homes typically look visually appealing with Victorian colors, and so on.

Tools to Help You Choose

There are many methods available to you to help you find the ideal colors for your home. If you have artistic talent, you can draw a picture of the exterior of your home and make copies. You can then freely color the picture of your home with colored pencils, to get a better idea of how those specific combinations might look.

There are also many computer programs and software to aid you in finding the ideal colors for your home. Some of these programs come with a list of house templates to choose from, and some allow you to import an actual photo of your home in order to preview your color combinations.

If you plan on hiring a professional painting contractor, then why not ask for his or her opinion? Sometimes, there is seldom a better aid than a good professional’s opinion.

Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent for Dramatic Changes. The interior and exterior painting specialists concentrate on painting jobs throughout the Richmond Virginia area. For more information on a painting contractor in Richmond Virginia please visit their website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Budda_Oliver

Make Your Home Exciting! Add Your Personality To Your Color Schemes

When the time comes for new home owners to select colors for their homes, life becomes increasingly difficult. Who ever thought that such a simple task could be so burdensome? Well indeed it is, and this is mostly due to the science of color choice. Choosing a paint color becomes even more mystifying after understanding that most homes use at least three different shades: one for the siding and two or more for trim and accents such as doors, railings and window sashes. The reason choosing colors is such a complex decision is that a well-chosen selection of contrasting trim and accent colors can draw attention to architectural details and disguise design flaws. However, on the flip side a poor selection can make a house seem flat and featureless.

When choosing colors, it is important to choose complementary colors and not matching colors. For example desist from matching the concrete with the color of the home. It is too much to the human eye to see so much of one color. Add accents to the house by choosing colors that are either warmer or cooler depending on functionality. Experienced sales associates often assist new home owners in decision making process and assist in the selection of the best colors for your project.

Over the years one would find that colors become increasingly versatile and genderless. They now feature more general appeal and less affinity to feminine or masculine concepts. Color selection for this era is highly dependant on individual choice. Many times such selections can only be achieved through often personalised color combinations rather than customized individual colors. People now tend to select colors to fit lifestyle and personal individualistic taste. The end result is that the exterior of the house, as well as the rooms expresses personal style of the home owners.

In the wake of this new dawn of color selection based on preference rather than dictated styles and combinations brilliant and intriguing contradiction of colors have surfaced. Added to the color selection, accessorizing allows the home owner or decorator to add character and a sense personality to the home. Injections of color into mundane objects, such as kitchen appliances, transform arduous home tasks into more pleasant experiences. The essence of color is a valuable tool directly linked to our personal experiences and emotions. Strong hues are usually denoted by busy activity while subdued colors tend to accompany relaxation.

Discover more great tips at http://www.allaboutthehome.info/ a website offering tips and resources on matters like shower doors, bedroom curtains and unique color schemes to fit any budget. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_H

Using Color Psychology to Sell Your Home

When painting your home for resale, choosing the right colors can make a huge difference in your paycheck at closing. For instance, did you know that the exterior color of houses selling most quickly is a certain shade of yellow, but that choosing the wrong shade of yellow can kill a sale?

You'll find many brochures in paint stores, showing various combinations of exterior paint colors. But most people don't realize that most of those combinations actually include three colors, and not just two. Limiting your exterior paint scheme to just two colors also limits your income potential.

For a fast sale, think fun colors and go for a third, or even a fourth, exterior color. Think "Disneyland Main Street," where every shop is painted in glorious multi-colors. Adding more colors will also add definition to the various architectural details of your home. Use gloss or semi-gloss paint on wood trim.

The Psychology of Exterior Colors

When choosing exterior colors, take the sales price of your home into account. Certain colors, especially muted, complex shades, attract wealthy or highly-educated buyers, whereas buyers with less income or less education generally prefer simpler colors. A complex color contains tints of gray or brown, and usually requires more than one word to describe, such as "sage green," as opposed to "green."

On the other hand, simple colors are straightforward and pure. Generally, houses in the lower price range sell faster and for higher prices when painted in simple colors like yellow or tan, accented by white, blue, or green trim.

The Psychology of Interior Colors

Using colored, rather than bland, white walls will increase your profit potential. Lynette Jennings tested the perception of room size and color, and discovered that a room painted white appeared only appeared larger to a few people when compared to an identical room painted in color – and the perceived difference was only about six inches! Most people also look better when surrounded by color, and feel happier, and since buyers pick houses that make them feel happy, that knowledge can put dollars in your pocket at closing!

Entryways should bring the exterior colors into the house. Repeating shades of the exterior throughout your home will make the entire home seem to be in harmony. Living and family rooms painted in a slightly lighter shade of the exterior color will ensure that you've picked a color your buyers like, because if they didn't like your exterior colors, they wouldn't have bothered to look inside. If they loved the exterior colors, they'll love the interior, too.

When choosing interior colors, consider the use of each room. For instance, kitchen and dining areas that are painted in “food colors,” such as coffee browns, celery greens, and scrambled egg yellows, feel natural.

Since, deeper shades of color imply intimacy and serenity, I like to paint master bedrooms a medium shade of green or blue for warm selling seasons, and rouge red for cooler weather. Other bedrooms can be painted in creamy tones of green, blue, or a pale shell pink. (See the chapter on the Psychology of Color in my book "Joy to the Home: Secrets of Interior Design Psychology" for further information.)

Selling Season

Always consider your selling season (the time of year you'll be marketing your home) and climate when choosing colors. Estimate the amount of time you'll need to get your home ready for sale, and then add on extra days for unexpected delays. Use cool colors, such as blues, greens, and grays, to sell during spring and summer, and warm colors, such as yellows, reds, and maroons, when selling in the fall and winter.

Color Intensity

My husband and I usually use lighter colors when painting the exteriors of our investment dollhouses, because it makes them appear larger. On the other hand, our cabin in the woods looks richer when painted a darker color. When we decided to have it painted, I considered the usual cabin colors of dark brown and barn red, but fell in love with Olympic’s gorgeous "Gooseberry" plum color.

When getting ready to paint your house, look at the colors of neighboring houses and choose colors that harmonize, yet stand out from the crowd. Colors that clash badly with other houses will detract from the overall neighborhood.

At the beginning of the article, I told you that homes with yellow exteriors sell the quickest. But which shade of yellow sells best? First, the yellows to avoid: yellows with green undertones look sickly to most buyers, and yellows with orange undertones give buyers an impression of cheapness.

The best-selling yellow exterior color is actually a pale, sunny yellow, especially when complimented with one or more carefully-chosen accent colors. For instance, a semi-gloss white trim will give your home a clean and fresh look, and adding a third color, such as green, can make your home even more attractive to prospective buyers.

Colors affect human beings in many ways, and by using the principles of Color Psychology, you can make your home stand out from the competition, sell more quickly, and at a higher price.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Joy_Fisher

Color Selection - Choosing Colors For Your Home

Color selection is the single most requested interior design dilemma. How do you pick out colors? Will I like them when they are all together? Should I just stay neutral and use color only in my accessories? And the questions go on...

At the base of the color selection dilemma is emotion. Color evokes strong feelings, and this is hard for people to commit to. Yellow makes you happy, red makes you tense or angry, and blue feels cold to you. Now someone may say that red is passionate and blue is soothing- who is right in their color assessment? Why, of course, you are since it's your home, after all! Color is a personal choice, but interior decorators can help guide and direct you through the selection.

First and foremost, pick out colors that you like. I always advise clients to think of the colors that they wear in clothing. These are generally complimentary to their coloring and what they like. It does not have to be different for your home. If you do not wear orange or particularly like it, then why paint the kitchen orange just because the designer says to? There are some easy to follow tips that can be applied when picking out colors for your dйcor.

When you walk into your home now, do the colors feel warm or cold? This will tell you what tones you like. My theory is that brunettes tend to gravitate toward warm colors (reds, yellows, browns), and blondes like the cool tones (blues, lavenders, and pinks). The major concept in selecting a color tone is to keep the same tone throughout the house for good flow of color. You do not need to use the same color family, but the tones need to be the same. If your dining room is painted red (warm), it would be very jarring to have a lavender (cool) kitchen adjoining it.

After you decide the tone of colors that you like, color selection flows easily. There is a color formula that can be used in every room. It is as follows: 50% of the dominate color- usually a neutral on your walls and in your flooring, 30% of a secondary color- the furniture and larger pieces in the room emphasize this color, and finally 20% of a third color- your accessories. For example, a popular color trend is the "sand and surf" combination. Blue and brown are a natural pairing, just check out any body of water with a beach! So, in our formula, let's use a taupe for the walls and flooring (50% of the room). Throw in some furniture, slip-covered in denim for a casual feel or with a blue patterned upholstery- that is our 30%. Finally, with accessories bring in that 20% of a third color. In this room- a chocolate brown or moss green would really add punch to the color scheme. This color formula can be modified a bit, but really does work every time.

Now you know some of the secrets of color selection! Color in your home is something to have fun with and enjoy. It should evoke good emotions, not anxiety and worry about "picking out the right color"! Try some of these easy suggestions the next time you are sprucing up your space, and remember- it's only a can of paint. Change the color if you do not like it!

Tracey Schabel is the editor of http://www.GirlzDealz.com a website "for women by women", where you can find ideas, tips, and deals about home and lifestyle trends. Be sure to check out our website for the latest in interior decorating, green living, lifestyle trends, handpicked shopping deals, entertaining, book reviews, and much more. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracey_Schabel