You know your own house better than anyone else; you've probably got rooms that you wish were bigger, or perhaps other areas where you'd spend more time if only they felt more cozy and intimate. The solution might be as simple as a new color scheme.

When it comes to decorating, choosing paint color can really be a challenge. While you may feel that there are so many choices you want to find the right one, you may end up feeling that there are so many choices you don't know where to start, and this can stop you from idea to repaint your house.

White ceilings and walls might be the "safe" way to go, but that hint of "Forget-Me-Not" in your floor tile, or other interesting but unusual colors in your furnishings, can make your house stunning when you look to them as a source of inspiration. By using shades of such colors, light or dark, you'll accentuate and create the unified look that so many professional designers strive for. Colors give rooms their "mood"; that is, they stimulate feeling, and bring new sight of view.

Study the Colors Really

You'll find clues about the underlying tones of different shades of a color on a full sample strip of coordinated colors. Even if you're not even considering using a darker tone, look at all the colors carefully. Decide if the family of colors is the direction you're headed with your color selection.

Cool colors (any that contain the primary color blue) make rooms feel larger and also bring a feeling of calmness. Such colors might be effective for making a west-facing room feel less hot and sticky on a sunny afternoon. Warm colors (which contain primary colors yellow or red) are stimulating and inviting, and are good for making large rooms feel cozier and warmer.

Coordinate Decorating Samples

When you go shopping, you'll need to refer to your fabric, carpet, tile, wallpaper, and trim samples constantly. Be sure to remember the general colours in your house.

Trim it Out

More often than not, you'll select a shade of white or off-white for the moldings, doors, and windows. If you're feeling brave, consider the palest shade of color to coordinate with the walls. For a really striking look, try lighter walls and dark tones or bright color for trim.

Some combinations of color create optical illusions - these may take you by surprise, so exercise care in choosing by holding swatches together and seeing how one color affects the other. For instance, by placing white with any color, you'll notice that the color makes the white look brighter - and the white makes the color look darker than it really is by itself. Be sure to do this in your room's natural light at different times of the day.