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Designer Tricks for Choosing the Ideal Color Scheme for Your Living Room

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Choosing the best color scheme for your living room is easier than you think. However, the 1000’s of color options available at your local paint store can leave your head spinning. So how do you make a decision that you will be happy with in the future? Here are a few tricks of the trade to help you in your search for the ideal living room color scheme:

1. Establish a Color Foundation

A designer’s trick for choosing the ideal color scheme for a living room is to first select a foundational piece to base the color scheme on. This foundational piece may be a beautiful set of window draperies, an eclectic accent pillow or a large piece of artwork. Once you have determined what you foundational piece will be you will need to take a close look at the colors found in the item. This is where your color scheme will be pulled from.

For example, your foundational piece might be an accent pillow that is covered in a beautiful teal, ivory, yellow and blue pattern. From this pillow you could choose the ivory color as your wall color and the teal can be applied to one wall as an accent. From there you can choose decorative accessories to coordinate with the colors on the pillow and distribute them throughout the room.

2. Sample Your Color

Once you have determined your main paint colors for the space, typically one or two (if you are including an accent wall), then your next step is to go to the paint store. If you are someone who loathes painting it can be advantageous to have a small can of your paint selection mixed up first. Take this paint can home and apply it in a few small squares (12 x 12) on the walls in the space that you intend to paint. This will help you determine how the color will work in the space. Live with this for a couple days and observe the color changes through the day and night. If you are still happy with your choice after a few days you can then go and purchase enough paint to complete the room. While it is an additional cost, this process can help you to avoid painting an entire room in a color that isn’t quite right.

3. Think Outside the Box

Now that you have selected a color scheme for your living room and have painted the walls, it’s time to add accessories. To ensure that the design of your living is cohesive it’s a good idea to include a few coordinating items throughout the space. For example, you may introduce a coordinating accent chair, a colorful throw and a collection of decorative elements. However, don’t go overboard. The idea here is to create a space that appears intentional but not overdone. A space that appears too matchy-matchy can lack potential. So take the time to integrate a few favorite items that reference the design style of the space but do not necessarily match. This will ensure that your space uniquely reflects your personal style and does not look as though it came off the showroom floor.

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living room color scheme

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