First, I find something I like – an article of clothing, a picture in a magazine, a curtain or drapery panel, even a piece of scrapbook paper. Anything that appeals to me is fair game!

Next, I take that thing to the paint chip samples at the store, and compare the cards to my “inspiration” article. I usually get six or seven or more colors that are close to my color(s) – I’ll go a shade or two lighter, a shade or two darker, and a few shades with a little more or less gray/black (more or less muted/pure tones).

Then I’ll take those paint chips back home and compare them in the light where I’ll be painting them – and even at different times of the day, in case sunlight will shine on it or I will be using solely electric light, etc. This is important because I once painted a focal wall what looked to be a deep, rich chocolate brown, when viewed by the natural light coming in from the windows. However, when the the spot lights were later installed, and they focused down on my beautiful chocolate wall, they turned it a really gross shade of orange-y bittersweet!

Anyway, once I have gone through all these steps, a favorite generally emerges, and that’s the color I go with. I then try to repeat that color, more or less, in the various rooms of my house. For instance, my current home is done mainly in shades of bright red, moss green, a misty robin’s egg blue, chocolate brown, and soft black. In my dining room, it’s mostly brown and blue and red, with a little green and black. In my kitchen, it’s mostly black, brown, and red with a little blue and green. The family room is mostly red and green with a little blue and black. My bedroom is mostly blue and brown with a little red and green, and so on…. This way, one space “flows” into another and no room looks too jarring or out of place – really important with an open floor plan like mine.

The only exception to this “general” rule is my kids’ rooms: I let them pick whatever colors they want, and just figure I can redecorate when they move out!