Choose an Inspiration Piece

• Walking into a paint store without a color idea in mind can do more to confuse than narrow down a final selection. Find inspiration before entering the store and bring it along for better results. Color can be found in glossy magazine spreads, fabrics and accessories such as picture frames, lamp shades and pillows. Fan decks and paint cards can help by showing a range of colors in the same color family. Choose the color card that is most appealing and also the ones on either side of it. Paint cards are free at the paint store, and fan decks can be purchased from paint manufacturers or through a paint store.
  
  

Size the Room

• Smaller spaces can become very intimate and small or visually increase in size depending on how color is used. Open the space up by using off-white or light taupe color on the walls. Focus color in the patterns on fabrics, carpets, window treatments and accessories. Reduce the size of a large room by using deep-colored walls and carpets. Cavernous ceilings can be brought down to size by painting them a medium-range, warm color like a warm brown.
  
  

Create Movable Samples

• Once the color choices are narrowed down (three is always a good number to work with), create movable sample boards from which to make the final choice. Use foam core or masonite, found at art supply stores, in 10- to 12-inch squares. Foam core will need to be cut down to size, but the masonite can be found cut to size. Purchase the final paint colors in small amounts--quarts are usually the smallest available--and paint a coat across the sample board.
  
  

View in Different Light

• Put the movable samples to work by placing them around the room. Colors change as the quality of light changes, so viewing them throughout the day and in different locations in the room will reveal how they interact within the room. Consider how the room is to be used and what time of day it is used the most. Spend a few days studying the color samples before making a final decision.