COLOR IN DECORATING
A SUMMARY

After reading all I could find about color and observing the different comments and ideas people have about color I have come to one major conclusion. YOU live in the house and look at it every day! So YOU should decide what colors you really like and would want to live with on a day to day basis and work accordingly.

However, I have observed that most people are afraid to decorate their homes with the colors they like because they are afraid of what others will think of them. Obviously some people have taste that is more universally acceptable. But, you would probably find a lot of people living in "beige" homes out of fear who would exclaim with delight when they walked into someone else's living room and were confronted with beautiful jewel tones, such as turquoise, saphire, ruby, emerald, etc. (though not necessarily all at once!) Obviously there are limits as to how much or how many different colors to use. What will appear beautiful on first sight might turn out to be hard to live with every day - thus the popularity of neutrals.

It is important to keep in mind, if there is a chance you will be moving within a short time (unless you have unlimited funds), that it is best to keep large ticket items, such as carpet and wallcovering, fairly neutral. The next person to buy your house might already have furniture that they either can't afford to replace or simply like and want to keep. Though there is no way to predict every possibility, you will greatly increase your chances of a quick sale with a more neutral scheme. In this case, you can still find numerous ways to put YOUR favorite colors into the rooms by means of accessories as well as your own choices of upholstery, bedspreads and curtains.

If you are reasonably sure that you will be living in your home a long time and are ready to do a complete redecorating job, then by all means get that emerald green carpet, as long as you are sure you want to see it under your feet for years to come. There is nothing wrong with ANY color scheme as long as there really IS a SCHEME - not just a mis-mash of EVERY color you like in every room!

HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF! Does it really matter if great aunt Gertrude thinks all your carpet should be brown?

That out of the way, let's talk about the "rules" and some of the ways that color can enhance your room or create a mood. -------------Go to Page 2

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