Decorating Tip: Find Your Color Inspiration

Colors elicit a wealth of feelings in us. A green room can soothe us. A red room makes us hungry. A yellow room makes us feel cozy. We’re surrounded by color all day and our reactions are influenced by the colors around us. From the clothes we wear to the furniture we buy, we express our personalities with color. The color of a room is the first characteristic that defines the space. When selecting a color for a room, don’t just try to match the couch, find an inspiration color that triggers good feelings. You can find inspiration colors in your wardrobe, in the foods you like to eat, from the activities you enjoy and from the architecture of the house itself.


For example, when painting one particular room in my home, I found inspiration in the colors of the stained glass window that serves as the room’s focal point. I pulled an attractive plum color from the window to use on the walls knowing that the color would make the room feel alive and elegant.

Sherwin Williams now offers an application for the iPhone and the Blackberry that allows you to pick a color from a photograph. Let’s say you are at the grocery store and see a peach that’s the perfect color. Simply take a photo with your phone and the application will match the color for you. Their Web site also features some useful tools to help you select the perfect color for you. In fact, you can even upload a photo of your room and paint it digitally to see how it would look in any color of your choice.

Painting a room in a color that you adore sets a great foundation—not just for your décor, but for your life.