"Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways"--Oscar Wilde.

We all interpret color differently. Blues can make us sad but can also feel serene, relaxing, and calming. Many times we choose colors for our homes that represent us and our personality and I believe that to be true. My living room and office are Behr "Grass cloth" (green), and my kitchen is Valspar, "Bay Waves" (light gray). I love "nature" colors. It is amazing to think about but almost every color you find in nature, whether it is on a flower, on an insect, a tree, the sky, compliments one another. I also love a lot of browns, and oranges (Autumn is my fav. season). What kind of color person are you? Do you love the outdoors? Take a look around your home and your favorite accessories. What colors do you like the most? Let this question lead you to your color story...

I often spend months trying to choose the perfect color for my walls or a piece of furniture. Does everybody have this problem? Is it because we just don't know if it will match everything? Are we worried that we won't like it after we get it all done? I think it is all of the above! I absolutely love color....but I hate choosing the color. It is always a long, grueling process for me. I usually see it on somebody else's wall or in a magazine before I get interested. I don't even try going to the paint store until I have an idea on what color I want. Next comes all those paint chips....man are there a lot of those. It is truly mind boggling that "Grasscloth" and "Grass" are 2 different colors! I recommend taking several paint chips home that are positioned close together on the shelf. That way, you are getting the color family you want but in different shades and hues. When it comes to grays, those are a little tougher. You have to be careful on these as some are more in the blue family and some are more in the black and white family. If you want a true gray, go closer to the black family, and if you are wanting a more soft, silvery gray, go closer the blue family. If you are not sure, grab both! Getting the right paint color is just a matter of patience and perseverance. If you like one on the paint chip, the next step is to buy a sample. Most paint stores will give you a sample for little or no cost. Next step is to paint several colors next to each other on a prominent spot in the room that you are painting. Make sure they are large enough so that you can really see them and let them dry and look at them over a 24 hour period. That way you can see them all in different lighting; overhead, natural light, florescent lighting, etc. It REALLY helps to see them all together. Next is choosing the finish; glossy, semi-gloss, satin, eggshell, and flat. I highly recommend NEVER choosing "glossy" for a wall or ceiling color. With all of the amazing technology in paint these days, you can buy washable wall paint in a satin; it has a little tiny bit of shine and it cleans easily. Also, a "matte" finish is not very attractive and shows many imperfections on your walls, and it does not clean well. I discovered high gloss paint on my ceiling in my kitchen and it has been a nightmare project for me. I tried painting over it and the paint just wipes right off. So I tried priming it first and all that did was make the paint peel off the ceiling leaving me with another layer of glossy paint, in a different color....ahhhh!!! Take it from me...anything but glossy!

Don't be afraid of color my friends! It can take a room from: well, we don't really use this room at all, to: Wow! I love this room, I don't want to leave it. If you don't want to go bold, don't, but you should at least try a couple different samples of colors. Check out your friend's walls, look through magazines (I recommend HGTV Magazine!) but remember that paint is just about the least permanent thing you can do to a room. It's not like a tattoo that you are stuck with forever...it can always be covered up with another color. Just have fun with it, ask yourself what color/s make you happy and paint your favorite room that color. Do you have a favorite blanket, or pillow color? Take that to the paint store and they can match it! It's magical! You will be amazed at the change in your emotions and the life it will bring to your room. When I moved into my home, all the walls were a cream color. I really didn't have anything against cream until I moved into my home. After I painted my living room a fun green, it literally changed the feel and the warmth of my home instantly. Color can change your world, it can boost your mood, and, of course, it can make your house a home.

This was taken in my living room. This room was the second room in my home that was painted...the color took months to find but now I love it and have given it away to many friends and family members. It's happy but also relaxing; that is what I want people to feel when they come into my home.