Thanks goes to Mary Larsen for this page.

Color in Decorating

Warm Colors - Think the colors of the sun - red, orange, and yellow. When using a cool color on a wall, the wall will appear to advance, making a room feel a smaller and more intimate. Avoid using warm colors in a room that is already warm - viewing a warm color can actually make a room feel warmer. 

Cool Colors - Think soothing shades of water - blues, greens, and purples. When using a cool color on a wall, the wall will appear to recede, making a room feel a larger and more airy. Cool colors are great in a room that is filled with sunlight, since viewing a cool color can actually make a room feel cooler.   

Connecting Colors - Colors from the tans, browns, beiges, whites, and grays family. These colors work to connect rooms, as well as create a background for more vibrant color combinations. 

Red - Hot and spicy and known to actually raise your heart rate. Red is great in a dining room (count how many restaurants you know that use red in their color theme) because it is thought to increase a person's appetite. It is also often used in bedrooms to add a sensuous touch. Many designers say that a bit of red should be used in every room in the house.

Orange - Orange has been known to actually make people feel nervous and edgy. It is a high energy color and is great as an unexpected color burst in a room. When decorating a room orange is much more daring than red. It can be used to energize a dull room, such as the laundry room or mud room.

Yellow - Though often thought of as sunshiney and happy, yellow is a very tricky color to use when decorating. It is very easy for yellow to have green undertones, which quickly turns the color to an almost sickly shade. Golden yellows and buttery yellows work best in decorating.

Blue - The color blue is known to physically lower a person's blood pressure and decrease a person's appetite. It is not advisable to use blue in a kitchen, since your decrease in appetite might make you think that the food you cook does not taste good. Blue and white is a classic combination and is re-interpreted in decorating trends every few years, as seen in wedgewood, country, and navy blue.

Green - The saying "green is serene" exists for a reason. As a dominant color in nature, green does double duty in that it is both energizing and relaxing at the same time. This combination makes green a perfect choice for offices. Also recommended for bedrooms and living rooms, as green is known as peaceful, rejuvenating, and refreshing.

Brown - In former design periods brown translated to "blah." Today brown is the new black and goes with everything. A rich, deep brown (think chocolate bar) can be used with most every other color - red, black, hot pink, orange, lime green, powder blue - you name it. Dark brown is versatile and can be worked into almost any color scheme.

Pink - Not just for little girls anymore. Pink has grown up with undertones of gray for a rich look or saturated to a hot pink intensity. Pink will always have a feminine quality and portray your softer side, so care must be taken when using it in rooms for mixed company so that a feminine/masculine balance is achieved.

Purple - Often associated with royalty. Every stage play that needs to portray a king and queen uses deep purple and gold, so if purple is overused in a home it is easy for it to feel "stagey." Use it sparingly to add a rich and dramatic touch to a room. 

Black - Not just to designate the "bad buy" in a movie. Black is a fabulous accent in any room and has moved from accent pieces to upholstered pieces and even wall color. When using large amounts of black there is fine line between rich and luxurious and depressing - be sure to stay away from depressing.  Black will always be considered a classic, in both contemporary and traditional looks. 

White - Another classic. White feels clean, sleek, and sophisticated and like black can be used in both contemporary and traditional looks. When using large amounts of white it is important to use several different tones and textures to avoid a "boring" look