• Monochromatic color schemes are generally easy to create, easy to live with and sophisticated-looking. These can consist of just one color, or different tints or shades of the same color. Striking monochromatic effects can often be best achieved by using colors that are adjacent on the paint manufacturer’s color cards.
• Contrast can be a powerful element in a color scheme. Where two contrasting colors are used together, one always appears warm, and the other cool, creating a visually stimulating environment. Remember that contrasting colors do not have to be dark and bold; they can also be soft and subtle. Take your cue from the room you are painting: bold contrast is better suited to a living room; soft contrast to a bedroom.
• Generally speaking, it is best to avoid using equal ratios of contrasting colors in a room. Most rooms look more appealing when the brighter color is used on a smaller area. So, if you are painting a dining room, for example, use the bright color below the chair rails, a more neutral color on the upper walls.
• When planning your paint scheme, remember that the more of a color you use, the more intense it will seem. As a result, when painting entire wall surfaces and other large areas, it is best to select a slightly lighter color value than you think you would like.
• Color can affect the perceived size of a room: Light, cool colors make the space seem larger; dark, warm colors make it seem smaller and more intimate.
• Pattern can also affect the way a space is perceived. For example, you can heighten the appearance of a low ceiling by painting vertical stripes on the walls. The stripes don’t have to be contrasting colors, either. Stripes of the same color but in varying degrees of sheen can help to add height, and sophistication, to a room.
• Paints with higher sheen (a satin or a semi-gloss, rather than a flat finish, for example) will reflect more light and, thus, appear to be brighter. Take this into account when choosing colors.
• Texture is an important element of design that can add interest, mood and style to interior painting. Give texture to your walls by using a decorative painting technique like “sheen striping” (where the walls are painted in stripes of the same color, but in two contrasting sheens), or stippling (using a dry paint brush to dab off a freshly applied paint or glaze while still wet, thus allowing the base coat of paint to show through.) The variegated color that these techniques produce gives pleasing depth to virtually any surface.

Whatever look you choose for your home’s interior, paint experts advise that you always use the highest quality interior paint for the best long-term performance. A top quality interior latex paint, for example, goes on smoothly and evenly, covers well, and resists stains and repeated washing.
For more advice on interior painting, color selection, and decorative painting techniques, visit The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute’s Web site at www.paintquality.com.