From Homescape

Over my holiday break, I got a chance to check out my brother and his fiancée's new townhome. Between planning a wedding, 50-hour work weeks and finishing grad school, the busy couple has had little time to start any home improvement projects. The ambitious list includes adding new wood floors, upgrading the master-bathroom and replacing the outdated cabinets in the kitchen. Being the insightful sister that I am, I told my big bro that he may want to start first by unpacking the barricade of unopened boxes and furniture piled in their garage, before they start any major home projects.

When it comes to home improvements, there’s always too much to do and not enough time to do any of it, but the couple did make room in their hectic schedules for some much needed interior painting. With a color scheme made up of olive green, pale gray-blue and khaki hues, they transformed the dull hospital-white walls in their living and dining rooms into sophisticated and intimate living spaces. The colors even added dimension to the connecting rooms. 

Replacing flooring or ripping out old cabinets can always wait, but choosing your interior color scheme is vital in setting the tone for the rest of your home. According to design expert Nate Berkus (Oprah Winfrey’s design guru), “Color is the decorating glue that holds your home together.” Berkus’s book “Home Rules” is a must-have if you’re looking for smart and simple decorating and remodeling tips for your bungalow. 

The celebrity designer says even though color plays an important role in the way our homes look and how we feel about them, there are no hard-and-fast rules about finding the right palette. “Color choices are personal; start with what you love. In the end, what works for you is the right decision,” Berkus writes in his book.                                                                                            

Berkus suggests that you ask yourself some key questions when looking for the perfect hue.

1. What’s your favorite color? Open a box of crayons and pick the first color that catches your eye.

2. How do you react to color? Do the warm shades of a sunset move you? Or is it the clean, clear coolness of a winter landscape that speaks to you?

3. What’s in your clothes closet? Does that one red sweater get passed over time and time again for the neutrals in your wardrobe?

4. How big is the space? Do you want it to feel larger or cozier?

5. If you’re decorating more than one room do you want to unify them with color?

6. How much available light is there? What time of day will you use the room most?