Pick a color—any color. If only selecting a color palette for your home were that simple. Thankfully, interior designer Mark McCauley, author of Home Color Therapy: Real-Life Solutions to Add Color to Your Life, shares eight proven tips to uncover your personal color preferences and move beyond plain white walls.
Tip #1: Draw from the largest pattern in the space.
If you have patterned upholstery, an Oriental rug, or a bold piece of art, pull colors you love from it. For neutral walls, select whites and beiges from the pattern.
Tip #2: Start with formal areas first.
Begin with the living room, dining room, and entryway. Establish a scheme there, then adapt a color—like toning down a red sofa to burgundy—for private spaces such as the den, office, or bedroom.
Phyllis Harbinger echoes nature in this traditional living room: deep hardwood floors and rugs, mid-tone beige walls and furniture, topped with a crisp white ceiling.
Tip #3: Decorate from dark to light, vertically.
A foolproof approach, per McCauley, is darker values for floors, medium for walls, and light for ceilings. "Any interior mirrors the outdoors," he explains. "Earth is dark below, medium ahead with buildings and trees, and sky light above."
Tip #4: Study the colors in your clothes.
You wear colors that suit you, so decorate with them too. "Skip yellow if you don't wear it," advises McCauley. "You'll look unwell otherwise."
Complementary colors—opposites on the color wheel, like red and green—add definition and excitement to formal spaces, as in this dining nook by designer Sue Adams. (Photo by Sam Gray)
Tip #5: Use the color wheel.
Analogous schemes (adjacent colors like blue and green) create calm, casual vibes ideal for bedrooms. McCauley also recommends a touch of black in every room—a vase, frame, or screen—to make other colors pop.
Tip #6: Follow the 60-30-10 rule.
Allocate 60% dominant color (often walls), 30% secondary (upholstery), and 10% accents (pillows, flowers). "It's balanced and always works," says McCauley, adding visual interest.
This vanity by Susan Fredman & Associates, Ltd., uses recycled leather scraps and bronze accents for an intimate, sultry palette. (Photo by Nick Novelli of Novelli Photodesign)
Tip #7: Honor your home's architecture.
Don't paint small rooms white to enlarge them. Use warm, rich colors to embrace cozy spaces, letting light expand larger ones.
Tip #8: Stay true to your personal style.
Authentic decorating resonates. If red, white, and blue speaks to you for every room, embrace it—any palette shines when it's yours.
