Painting your living room walls can be an intimidating task, especially when you are unsure of your color choices. Plus, if you add in the daunting task of mixing colors, it can seem overwhelming! A way to make this job a bit easier is by choosing color combinations to create your ideal color palette. By identifying your color palette early on in the design process, you can ensure that your walls, furniture and decor all mesh well together, giving your living room that cohesive and stylish look that you love.

How do I create a color palette for my house?

If you are starting fresh with a new living room design, including paint, furniture and décor, the possibilities may seem endless. However, there are several guidelines, or rules, that help you narrow down colors and determine how to apply these colors in your space. One such guideline, is the 60-30-10 rule.

The 60-30-10 rule is a great tool for creating color palettes for your living room and other spaces in your house.

In the 60-30-10 rule, the main color gets about 60 percent of the space and so on. Perhaps the simplest way to break this down is with color number one being used on the walls, color two being used as the main color for upholstery and other large pieces, and color three being used for accents, such as in lamp shades, pillows and decor. With this rule, using different shades of the same color is encouraged for the main two colors, but for the third color, you can choose a complementary shade to add visual interest.

When creating a color scheme for your own home, you can get inspiration from a variety of places, from the internet to magazines to furniture showrooms. You can check out popular living room colors and see what other people have used in their homes, and what sort of vibe these shades bring to the house.

How do I choose a color palette for my living room?

When it comes to choosing a living room paint color, think first of what the room will be used for. Whether you want your living room to be a place for socializing and entertaining, or you plan to use the space to relax and recharge, the colors you pick will influence the mood of the room. For example, choose a soft, cool color palette if you want a calm space; or go with warmer, brighter colors for a livelier, energizing vibe.

Once you know what atmosphere you are going for, it’s time to select the colors. An easy way to create the color palette is by pulling colors from the biggest pattern in the room, whether that be a patterned rug, curtains or an ottoman. Choosing a paint color that goes with the furniture and decor you already love is a great way to ensure that you will like your new paint colors. If you aren’t crazy about your current furniture, freshen up the room with one or two new pieces in colors that you love that can serve as color inspiration. Doing this also insures that your furniture works well with the wall color!

What types of colors work best in the living room?

Living rooms are often the largest room in the house. However, if you are looking to make your living room seem even larger, choosing a light color can help make the space feel more bright and open. Light greys continue to be trendy options, and warmer neutrals such as bone are gaining in popularity. If you want your living room to have more of a dramatic feel, paint it a darker color. Saturated jewel tones can make great accent walls, or use them throughout your space for a cozy and intimate feel.

Oftentimes, the best color for living room walls is a color that is a neutral with undertones that match the colors of the rest of the house. Consider the following:

• If your home is painted and decorated in colors with cool undertones (think blues and greens), then consider a slate blue or blue-gray color in your living room.
• If your home is mostly colors with warm undertones, such as reds, oranges and yellows, try painting your living room a warm beige or terracotta.

Can I use multiple paint colors in my living room?

Using multiple colors is an easy way to bring visual interest to your living room, and the 60-30-10 rule provides an example for accomplishing this with a three-color palette. However, rules are meant to be broken, and you can use any combination of colors that you desire. For instance, using a two-color combination for your living room is the simplest way to mix colors, but can make a huge impact! When choosing which two colors to use, there are three foolproof ways that you can be sure that your colors will look great together.

1. The first and easiest way is to pick colors on the same gradient. Choose a color from your palette to use as the first color and then use a darker or lighter shade of that same color as the second. Oftentimes, paint swatches will have multiple shades of the same color on one sheet, so you can simply choose two colors from one swatch!
2. The second way is to choose the first color from your palette and then pick a color that is opposite on the color wheel from that color. This is a simple way to make sure your colors complement each other and won’t clash.
3. Finally, you can choose your colors by pulling them from a large piece of art, decor or furniture that will be displayed in the room. This way you can be sure that the color inspiration piece will anchor the room perfectly.

Do you need ideas for your two-color walls? Think about the colors that you are drawn to in other areas of your life. You can even look in your closet for inspiration. (If you have rows of pink and red sweaters, you may want to choose a bright and warm shade. Do blue and green blouses fill your closet? Choose a popular teal shade for your main living room color.) Then think about the effect you want to achieve with your pairing, whether its subtle or dramatic. This can range from a living room with a dark green accent wall and the rest of the walls painted a light sage, to the walls being painted in equal parts with a set of complementary colors, such as blue and yellow. If you need more color inspiration, go out on a limb and try some of the trendiest shades and color combinations, such as navy blue and mustard yellow, turquoise and pink, or keep it classic with color schemes of black and white, or grey and blue. If you strike out or get tired of these new hues, you can always paint your room a new combination of colors and enjoy the updated ambiance!