How to Choose Popular Colors When Decorating Your Rooms for Your New Home

Like me, you may love country pinks and blues, but if you're deciding on colors for your new home, you'll want to choose what's hot for today, and not be stuck in the 1980s. Just as clothes change styles, so do colors for houses, as well as color schemes. What may be popular ten years ago is considered outdated today.

What's hot for today? Nature colors are popular now, probably due to the emphasis on environment. Interestingly, homeowners are bringing the colors of nature into their homes. The most prevailing color schemes today are for more quiet or subdued shades of color. Instead of bright reds and oranges, think of colors suggesting a walk through a forest, or stroll down the beach. In other words, think of soft botanical greens, blue skies, and oceans.

Neutrals are also hot. However, you probably don't want your entire room to be neutral. So your room won't appear boring or put you to sleep, add splashes of brighter colors. For example, if you have neutral walls, add more intense color by choosing brilliantly-colored pillows, area rugs and other accessories for your room. Or, in the kitchen, brighten up that stainless steel refrigerator and stove with some brightly colored ceramic tile against kitchen countertops. Also, consider bright colors for small appliances.

The country look of pinks and blues may be outdated, but pink is still popular (only in different shades.) But rather than dusty rose pink or hot pink, the trendy shade of pink today is more of a salmon color.

Do you want your room too appear bigger or are you striving for a smaller, cozier look?

Choose light colors for your walls to make your room look larger than it actually is. On the other hand, if your room is already huge and you want to create a feel of warmth and coziness, then go for darker shades of browns and other earthy tones.

Do you want a lot of contrast, making your room "pop"? Or, do you want to create a feeling of peace, without so much contrast?

Complimentary color schemes---For contrast, work with complimentary colors. Using a color wheel, you'll find colors on the opposite side from each other such as reds and greens, purple and yellows, blue and oranges. The use of contrasting complimentary colors would be a good idea for recreational rooms where you plan to have a lot of activity.

Monochromatic color schemes---You may want a more peaceful look for rooms such as your bedrooms and living room. Here you probably want more of a monochromatic look, choosing shades of the same color. Blue is the most widely used color for monochromatic rooms. You can introduce variety by using different tints, values, and shades of the same base color, as well as different textures.

Analogous color schemes----Choosing colors that lie next to each other on the color wheel, such as blues and greens, is still an accepted choice in decorating rooms. What's more, blues and greens are excellent choices for depicting nature, which is the current trend. There are so many variations of both colors---While some people prefer minty greens, others favor deep green and grayish blue-greens.

Also, when decorating any room, remember to first determine the direction the room faces. Consider how much light your living room gets, as well as how the light streaming through the windows comes in at different times of the day.

Finally, remember that color is a personal choice. Although trends do change, you have to live with the colors you choose, so try to include colors you love, as well as not look outdated.