Color is by far the most important element in a living room decor. Color achieved through paint is not only effective in setting a mood, but it remains one of the easiest and most affordable ways to alter or update the look of a room. The strategy you use in selecting a paint color or color scheme for a living room will dramatically affect all other design elements in the space.
Instructions
1. Use the "mood" setting property of colors to literally engineer the personality of a room, and the mood of the people within it. Color has a definite psychological effect on human emotions. Warm and sunny colors invoke feelings of optimism and happiness, while dark, cool colors can make us feel either tranquil or sedate. Some colors have special properties: pink has the scientifically-proven ability to pacify violent people! For this reason, paint selection displays often separate colors into mood-groupings like "Exciting" or "Relaxing," rather than traditional color temperature families.
2. Counteract adverse room temperatures with color. Like mood, paint color also affects the perceived temperature of a room. If your living room is on the north or east side of the house, you already know it can feel "chilly," particularly later in the afternoon when the sun is in the west and during the winter months. Correct this problem by intentionally painting the living room in a "warm" color like yellow, orange or red. A living room that is on the south or west side of the house can often feel "hot," especially after lunch and during the summertime. Paint this living room a "cool" color like blue, green or violet to bring the perceived temperature down a notch.
3. Boost light with paint color. If your living room has a shortage of windows, if the windows face north or east, or if the foliage of shade trees blocks the sunlight, you may have a natural light deficit in the room during most of the day. Any paint color that has a predominance of white in it can help enhance the natural light that enters the room. White or pastel tinted paint literally bounces away light and spreads it out much like a photographer's umbrella. If a room is very bright due to too many windows, you can reduce the reflective properties by painting the room a solid dark color. Living rooms that double as media rooms are excellent candidates for dark paint treatments.
4. Convey a sense of historical period and geography with color. Colors can be tracked by popularity through history. The Victorians preferred shocking "cabbage" greens and pinks in decors, while people living in the 1920s were attracted to whites, off whites, silvers and other stark colors in wall paint, reflecting the Art Moderne taste of the time. If you have a special period theme in the room, unify the theme with the correct color. Colors can also reflect location. The pastel, earthy colors of the Southwest are a prime example, as are the browns and dark greens of the Great Northwest. Use these color "cues" to reinforce your overall living room design.
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