Refreshing green in a living room
Your living room is probably the room you spend most of your time in when you are at home. When it comes time to decide what color to paint your living room, you will no doubt give this decision a lot of thought. Do you want this space to feel warm and inviting? Calm and relaxing? Or energizing and invigorating? Different colors of paint can give you a wide array of options.
Research
Before undertaking a home decorating project, it's a good idea to do some research. Check out magazines and websites that focus on home design and cut out or bookmark living-room color schemes that you like. Don't overthink this; simply choose photographs that instantly appeal to you. Once you have gathered a group of your favorite looks, you'll have a good idea of the mood and style that you want to create for your living room.
Explore the Options
Visit the websites of paint manufacturers such as Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams, both of which have color selection applications that allow you to upload an image of your space and experiment with different palettes. If you aren't a very visual person, this is an especially helpful tool for exploring different color options for your living room.
If you prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, visit your local paint store and gather swatches of colors that appeal to you. You may want to purchase small sample cans so you can paint a small block of color on a living-room wall and view it--natural light as well as artificial light in the evening. If others will be using the living room, have them weigh in on the options.
Making the Decision
Colors generally fall into two categories: stimulating and relaxing. Reds, yellows and oranges fall into the former category, while blues, greens and grays fall into the latter. Consider the style of your furniture, the size of your living room and how much natural light it receives.
Assuming you are not replacing all of your furniture, select shades that work will with accent colors that are already in the room. For example, if you have a beige couch with a subtle green pinstripe, you might explore shades of green such as olive. This does not mean you have to directly match the accent color, which actually can be a little boring--just be sure the wall paint will complement it. Also, avoid using too many colors. You shouldn't have more than one main color (which will be your wall color) and two accent colors.
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