Tips for Decorating with Color

The paint on the walls makes up a big part of your 60 percent. It's time-consuming and inconvenient to change, so choose your paint color toward the beginning of the decorating process. Because colors can affect the overall feel of the room, having a mood in mind is a great way to choose wall colors. Check out how these popular interior colors affect mood and explore ideas for how to incorporate them into your room's design.

• Blue is widely considered the most relaxing color. Blue’s many hues match plenty of schemes—think of china blue walls in the kitchen, an aqua bathroom, serene sky-blue paint in the bedroom, or a navy hue for the office. Then imagine any color-and-room mix-and-match (A navy wall in the bathroom? Nice. China blue walls in the office? Also nice!) and you’ll see that blue walls can feel straightforward, trustworthy, and relaxing. Shop relaxing blues.
• Green is associated with nature and tranquility. Include this mood in your decor with walls painted in refreshing grass green, zesty lime, traditional hunter green, or calming artichoke. If an entirely green room isn’t a part of your vision, consider an accent wall in a shade that conveys your target mood. Shop soothing greens.
• White walls are crisp, clean, and fresh, and they look especially good with plenty of natural light. White allows the architectural features of a room to shine, and it photographs like a dream. However, too much white and too little light can make a room feel stark and lifeless.
• Beige doesn’t have to mean boring—this versatile color can lean warm, refined, elegant, or modern. Light it well—utilize overhead, floor, and table lighting—so that under-lit corners don’t look murky. Shop subtle neutrals.
• Gray walls can be sophisticated, calming, and contemporary. Darker shades make a room feel smaller, and lighter shades give the illusion of more space. Shop cool grays.

QUICK TIPS FOR DECORATING WITH PATTERNS: Patterns can be large or small, geometric or floral, understated or energetic—there are patterns to suit every mood and scale. Use what you know about color to help you choose patterns for each room.

Consider complementary colors—muted blue walls in the bedroom might harmonize with thin stripes of neutral white and rusty, warm orange (blue's complement!) on the duvet cover. Or cheery blue walls in the kitchen might look even cheerier set off with bright-orange and white chevrons on the curtains.

In a small room, like a bathroom, you might like a large, striking pattern on the shower curtain. In a bigger room, use bold patterns on items that are easy to swap out when you're ready for a change: curtains or duvet covers to feature a motif prominently, accent pillows or storage baskets for small touches.

Mix and match prints with coordinating colors to add even more fun to the space. Try combinations like floral and striped sheets, a textured print and medallion design, dual geometric prints, or damask and zig-zag.

Use patterned bedding to bring personality to the main bedroom or guest room. Choose solid-colored sheets in a hue that speaks to you, then coordinate with printed duvet covers, quilts, or bedspreads to swap out as the seasons (or your moods) change.

Or, flip it. Choose sheets that feature a detailed medallion print, bold chevron, or dreamy floral, then top it all off with a duvet cover or bedspread—pair solid colors, stripes, or patterns to create a bedroom mood you love.

As you head into your secondary 30 percent, you might select colors for a rug, a large piece of furniture, or curtains. Curtains are a fantastic, fast way to incorporate a secondary color. They add vertical visual interest just where the light of the window draws the eye.

The color wheel can steer you toward secondary room color options. When choosing your secondary 30 percent color, you might select colors for rugs, large piece of furniture, or curtains. Here are some popular color schemes and ideas for harmonizing curtains and rugs with walls:

• Complementary: Pick the opposite color on the color wheel for a complementary color scheme. Against a green wall, a solid red curtain would makes a bold visual statement; for a more subtle look that's still invigorating, find an area rug or curtain that features a red pattern.
• Neutral: White, cream, tan, and gray are neutral colors that coordinate well with most wall colors. Hang curtains in a neutral hue, or choose a subtle carpet in a near-neutral shade.

Explore complementary pairings for blue hues. Bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms—even covered porches—become soothing spaces when you start with your favorite shade of blue.

Deep violet to dusty wisteria—purple can be as bold or as subtle as you wish. Pass on beige walls—brighten them instead with a vintage taupe that hints at mauve. Then, work other colors— purple tones, or not—in with your rug, curtains, and bedding.

• Top the bed with a solid-colored pale blue duvet cover or bedspread, or choose a patterned style featuring giant blooms line-drawn in blue and white.

• Finish with throw pillows. Choose linen-textured pillows that echo the blue in your duvet cover, embroidered pillows that feature red and pink florals, or deepen the palette with rich purple hues.

Work with whatever inspires you. The color wheel is a guide, but true interior design personality comes from what you love. Monochrome palettes, coordinating neutrals, or bold pairings of green and orange, yellow and pink, red and white, brown and blue: Whatever combination you choose, let it reflect your taste to bring character to your space.

Mirrors offer opportunities to brighten your space and create depth. To include mirrors in your decor, consider these tips: