Color can make a huge impression on people, set a tone or pull a room together. When making the decision about wall paint color, it’s important to remember that the choice isn’t permanent, and can easily be redone. Keeping that in mind, consider the room’s architectural aspects and the feeling you’re going for while choosing a paint color.

1. Consider the lighting and size of a room
   1. A large, airy room with lots of windows is often painted a lighter color, yellows, peaches or a light neutral tone, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth playing around with deeper hues. A dark brown or purple could be just what a large room needs, both to highlight the room’s size or to make it seem even larger. In rooms with windows which let in a great deal of light, it might make the most sense to use the dark colors there, instead of in a smaller, windowless room.
2. Does the color match the room’s mood?
   1. …unless that’s the look you’re going for. Dens, libraries and home offices are often the target for darker walls and decorations. Traditional libraries might have wood paneling, but because that’s not always feasible or possible, substitute painted walls for that warm and intimate feeling. In huge rooms you’d like to appear smaller, maybe a little more cozy, this trick also works.
3. The exterior needs a paint job too
   1. Don’t let your home’s exterior go forgotten. Make sure it’s as presentable as possible with the help of gutter cleaning and keeping the windows clean as well. It’s not only the first thing people see when visiting your home, but a representation of what they’ll see inside the house. Choosing an exterior paint color isn’t an easy task, not too bright, too bold, or too muted, and that’s all dependent on community guidelines or a homeowner association. Peeling or old paint is just as bad as dirty or dust-covered paint, so unlike interior paint, it’ll be necessary to maintain, the easiest option being with power washing.
4. Add some white or black elements.
   1. Some say one black element will enhance all the other colors in the space, as if offering a shaded benchmark for all the other colors in the room. For a clean look, add white. White doors and door frames create clean lines and a great contrast to whatever color you choose to paint the walls, whether it’s a deep or light shade. White picture frames, furniture or linens can serve as a start contrast to rooms painted in deep colors.
5. Accent walls? 60-30-10
   1. And if picking a color for the walls isn’t your favorite decision, here’s good (or bad) news. You can pick more than one. Accent walls are a great way to add depth to a room and make it more dimensional than just a box painted in one color. The rule of thumb with accent colors is to make the room 60% the main color, 30% a second color and 10% an accent color. The main and second colors can easily be shades of the same color, or other well-coordinating colors. The accent color is typically a coordinating contrasting color, meant to highlight the main colors.

When it comes to decorating, color is one of the easiest way to set a tone for a room, but choosing that color isn’t always an easy decision. After putting in a little extra thought for each room, and with the help of these tips, hopefully the process is one step easier.