Don't be Afraid of Color's Power. There is no need to default to beige.

I want to share one of my mentor's insightful articles with you, by Margi Kyle.

Every time I teach a class or give a lecture on color, sheer panic comes over people's faces. Everyone seems scared to death of color.

Let's examine why.

Color makes a very strong statement. Color evokes emotion. There is power in a can of paint.

In selecting color in your rooms you always start with the shell, the floor and walls. In a new home, they sky is the limit - but most people still stick with boring beige.

Let's give the walls some color. Wedgwood blue and the dark greens are wonderful colors to work with. Don't be afraid to use dark colors if favor of cool blues, greens, grays, black and white, which expand space. Making a room look big isn't always comfortable.

In a small family room where one of my clients had lots of pine furniture, hunter green was used on the walls. The carpet was a light beige and the sofas were in a print with beige, greens and peach. When entering the room, the strength of the color was reassuring and comfortable.

If your furniture is getting tired looking, paint or wallpaper your walls the same color as the furniture so they will blend in. If your furniture is new, then paint your walls a contrasting color to set them off.

You may think I am against warm colors - I am not.

I do feel, however, the elegance of the cooler colors can be warmed up by using a complementary color scheme. Peach, yellows, reds are warm colors. Warm colors are stimulating and should be used in rooms with northern or eastern exposure.

I would never put a hyper child in a red room. Blues, grays, or greens would be more soothing. I also feel children should have a say in what colors they prefer to live with.

Too much of any color is depressing. Color should flow throughout your home. Sometimes, it is helpful for my clients to have a colored floor plan.

Once you have a plan, color isn't as scary. If you have pulled your room together through color, any combination of color can work.

You need a dominant color about 70 per cent, a secondary color 25 percent and accent color 5 percent. Competition of color in any room is hard to live with. The darker the color, the more light you need.

Why no add more color in your home? Don't be afraid of what your friends think. You live there. Do what makes you happy.

© 2008 Irene Woodworth