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Your own color scheme

Choosing your interior color scheme is the most fundamental part of home decorating ideas. But because there's a huge choice, it can also be a major worry.

You can get lots of advice on how to select the 'right' color scheme for your home or individual room. The problem with this approach is that there is no 'right' scheme! If you are convinced that somewhere out there lies the perfect interior color scheme for your particular needs and all you have to do is to 'discover' it, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.

If you want your home to be your home, then put in a little work at this stage. It's not difficult, and you'll quickly learn about color and you.

Find your likes and dislikes

One of the best things you can ever do is to discover your own likes and dislikes in both color and style. And there's a really simple way to do it.

Step 1 - collection

Collect together as many illustrations as you can on interior design color. Books, magazines, brochures - as many as you can find. Magazines in particular are very useful, as you can cut out any interior color ideas which appeal to you. Ask your friends, they may have stacks of magazines there are only too pleased to get rid of.

Step 2 - selection

Once you have a good collection, make a note of all the illustrations which appeal to you. Don't analyse them at this stage; if you like a picture for whatever reason just put it to one side. To make this exercise even more effective, put all the illustrations you like away for a day or two, then bring them all out and examine them. You'll probably find that there are some which really stand out. Ask yourself why you like these in particular.

Step 3 - color

You may notice that you tend to like certain color shades, such as red or blue, and most of the pictures have variations of these colors in them. Or they may have contrasting colors, giving vibrant effects. You should start to notice similarities in the illustrations you have chosen, giving you a good indication of the sort of interior color scheme you're most comfortable with.

Step 4 - style

It may be that you not only like the colors, but also the styles. The room settings may be traditional, or may have an eclectic look, with furnishings from a variety of periods cleverly mixed to give a complete and satisfying effect. Just look at the illustrations and think about them. You'll find you begin to form your own opinion of what you like, and develop an interior color scheme you're happy with.

Although these exercises involve some effort on your part, they will be of great help when you come to choose colors and styles for your home.

Here are some other ideas to help you with your color choices.

  • Develop a habit of observing and thinking about a particular interior color scheme which appeal to you. It could involve a rug, painting or patterned fabric. Note the main color, then all the hues and tones which together make up the interior color scheme.
  • Learn from nature. Look at the colors of the countryside, especially in the fall. Look at the clouds on a blustery day; they are full of subtle color variations. In fact, you can do this with any scene which at first glance seems mundane and uninteresting. You'll start to see color everywhere, and how the varying tones all work well together.
  • Personal preferences. Some people simply hate green. Others love pink or coral. Go with your emotional reaction to color, and build on it.
  • Use sample boards. When you have chosen all your ingredients for the room - flooring, wall covering, fabrics etc - put samples of each of them together on a board. Stand back and look at the combination. It will then be easy to see if anything doesn't look right.