Part one
Have you been lost trying to select a colour scheme for a room? Let any favourite fabric, print, home decor item, or even a scarf be your inspiration. Begin by pulling three or four colours you like from the print by matching the colours to paint samples. Decide which colours you will use on the flooring, walls, upholstery, etc. Whether you use the actual fabric in the finished room doesn't matter, but by pulling a few colours from the print you have the benefit of an exciting colour scheme designed by a professional textile designer.
Flooring and colour
The floor is the foundation and base for an entire room and its furnishings. It is always wise to use a more neutral colour for flooring for the simple reason that it creates a foundation for everything else. Remember, even a forest green or a muted blue can be considered neutral if muted enough. If you decide to change your colour scheme in a few years, it will be easier to work around a neutral floor. Don't feel you have to remain neutral with area rugs though. These can be easily moved and replaced if you want to change the room. To make your house appear more spacious, select one colour of carpet or flooring to go throughout your entire home. This is another reason to go with a neutral colour on the floor so that each room's colour scheme and home decor will complement it.
Ceramic tile floors will last for many years, so it is usually safer to go with a neutral or classic colour that enables you to easily change the colour scheme of the room in the future. You can help to make your tile flooring safer by selecting a floor tile with a slip-resistance surface.
Walls and colour
Walls are an extremely important part of a room. The colour or pattern you use on the walls can easily become the dominant part of a room, because of the large amount of space covered. Decide if you want the pattern in a room to be on the walls, the furniture, a rug, or a lavish window treatment. Typically, two very bold patterns in one space will fight each other and will not create a harmonious room.
When you think of colour on the walls, don't rule out all the possibilities for your home decor. You can expand the feel of a room and add architectural interest to a plain room by adding a mural to the space.
Flaws in the wall can be disguised (think also lining paper and wallpaper ) depending on the sheen of the wall finish. The flatter or more matt the finish, the less the flaws in the plaster or drywall will show. If there are quite a few bumps or ridges in your dry wall surface, you should go with a flat or satin finish, avoiding any shine. Matt paints also allow furniture and wall decorations to become the focal points in the room.
Hallways, guest baths, and landings are transitional parts of the house, and those walls can be bolder or darker than areas in which you spend a great deal of time. A bolder or darker colour will also help a small space make a bigger visual impact.
If you have a dark room that doesn't receive much sunlight, paint the walls in a light satin or semi-gloss paint. The reflective surface, along with a lighter colour, will reflect more light into the room.
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