Wall Colors for Living Room

"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home", goes the famous saying by the great German writer, Johann Wolfang Von Goethe. It indeed sounds true for almost all of us, as there cannot be another place where we can find peace like our homes. Home is where we spend most of the time of our life and it is at home where one can be with himself. Many things go into making a home out of a house, family being the most valuable asset of a home. This article will help clear your confusion when choosing wall colors for living room.

For most of us the living room is where we relax and love to spend time. A home is said to be a reflection of the personality of the inhabitant. The most important task of making a home is coloring the walls. And equally difficult is to choose the color for your wall. Be of a clear mind and visualize how would you want your living room to look like before you go out choosing paint colors. The living room should be of a kind where you can be yourself. Most of the people make this huge mistake by choosing a color that looks good on the color chart, but then after it gets painted is when you realize that it was looking better on the color chart itself.

How to Choose Wall Colors?

Blue, yellow, green or red? Choosing colors will make me dead. Since we tend to spend most of our time in the living room, choosing a good wall color for the living room is probably the most crucial job. Try choosing colors you like and are comfortable with. So pick your shades judiciously. It would be wise to take coloring ideas from your friends who have done paint jobs at their homes before. You can also get paint and decorating ideas from your partner or family and mutually agree upon it.

Choosing a color also depends upon what do you do in your room mostly. Sounds weird, but has significance, let me explain how. Normally in our living rooms a variety of activities take place, like watching television, movies or sporting events, playing games, talking, etc. All of these are social activities. In active and social rooms, warm colors works out to be the best. Wall colors for living rooms of these type should be warm, as they enhance the level of coziness. Warm colors include orange, red, yellow and brown. On the other hand, some people just want to relax and spend some quality time in the living room. They would either like to catch up on a book or just would want to listen to their favorite music. For these types a serene environment is preferable, which cool colors complement the most. Green, blue, violet are examples of cool colors.

The size of the room is also one of the factors to consider while choosing wall colors. If you've got a bigger room and want it to look cozier, then you must use warmer colors. You can use this if you've got a comparative larger room. If you've got a smaller room and want to make it look more spacious and bigger, go in for cooler colors. Light hues expand a room and gives a person a widened feeling. You can go in for light blues, yellows, pinks, greens. Also in case of low ceilings, if colored with bright white it makes look low ceiling higher. Choose ceiling colors cautiously.

• Neutral Colors - White, Gray, Black, Beige, Ivory
• Warm Colors - Yellow, Orange, Red
• Cool Colors - Blue, Green, Violet

Choosing Wall Colors for a Living Room

• While choosing wall colors, try not to select the color on your first visit to the paint shop. Take the color swatches home, think upon it and then decide.
• First pick up the shades you like and then you can go on experimenting with different shades.
• Try and choose a color that complements its surrounding. Try to match the color with the flooring or the carpet, curtains (only if you're not getting new ones), the color of the room next to it. Also, if you're one of those artifact collectors, then try and match the color which will go well with your collection.
• Light has the ability to change color. Observe the amount of natural light your living room gets. If your living room gets sunlight then try choose a color which works well during the day and also honors well in the evening lamplight.
• The color on the color chart looks different than what actually gets painted on the wall. It is advisable to choose a color which is lighter by a grade or two.
• If it is getting difficult to choose that perfect shade for your living room, consider using more than one color. If you can't narrow it down to a final color, consider using two colors. Paint three of the walls one color and an accent color on the fourth wall. Accent walls not only look delightful but are trendy as well.

Color Psychology

You will be surprised to know colors have the ability to affect our mood. Yes, there is a connection between room colors and mood. Research shows that colors not only affect mood but also appetite and energy levels. Color psychology is actually simpler than it looks. A person would, of course, be happy or cheerful if he sees his favorite color around him. At least it will help him relax, that is exactly what soothing effect colors have. Let's take a look what these colors actually reflect.

• Red - Belongs to the warm color family. It has the ability to energize. It can incite appetite, produce intimacy or passion.
• Yellow - Warm color yellow is said to be rejuvenating and energizing. Being a bright color, it grabs attention. Yellow has been shown to lift the mood.
• Blue - Blue is a cool color and it has a soothing ability. It helps one to relax and calm the senses. It epitomizes water bodies and oceans.
• Orange - Orange is considered to be an emotional color, and being a warm color, it warms a room. It is more pleasing than red.
• Green - It is the color of the nature, anything green is said to soothe our eyes. It is the most welcoming colors of all, and is hence used largely at homes, schools, workplaces.
• Violet - Violet is mostly liked by the fairer sex. If you plan on choosing this color, it is recommended to go for very light shades of violet.

The above information should help you and give you an idea of the things to bear in mind when planning to choose living room colors. You can also consider different decorating ideas for living rooms and living room design ideas to make it look enchanting. Decorating living room with vibrant flowers, antique vases, wall decorations colorful cushions, rugs, table lamps, et al. will enhance the look of your room. Having said all that, remember not to be afraid to choose something you love and have fun with. Go ahead, let your imagination go wild and experiment with some different wall colors for your living room. After all your room reflects you and your personality.