Deciding a color scheme for your home? The process can be both exciting and daunting. There are so many choices to choose from that it becomes hard to decide what colors to paint.

When thinking of a color scheme, walk through the rooms in your home, and identify the colors that appeal you the most. You can also jot down your thoughts in a notebook and refer to it later to remind yourself of how you would like to paint your home.

Also, gather color swatches, photos (which have colors you like), pages from magazines and any odds and ends that appeal you. You can even collect objects like pebbles, sea shells, flowers and fruits - this will help you visualize the colors schemes that appeal you.

Now, spread all the different photographs and objects collected above over a flat surface as shown in the picture above. [this is also known as a mood-board]

Do you see color scheme that you like? If two or more colors appeal to you, you can combine them to make a harmonious or a contrast scheme. Shortlist the items and spread them on a big piece of paper. They will be an invaluable tool for deciding colors to paint your house.

Colors should ideally flow from room to room. Adjacent rooms can often be seen from open doors, so their color schemes should blend.

Remember that color changes significantly depending on the light in the room. So before picking a color, it is always advisable to view the color in the room where it has to be applied. [You may use a color swatch for this purpose or just paint some portion of a wall with that color]

South facing rooms often receive direct sunlight for most part of the day. So you can use pale blues and lilacs for a cool effect.

North facing rooms that receive only indirect light have a cooler feel even in summer time. Here, you may opt for soft, pale tints of warm colors or neutrals that will reflect light back into the room.

Extra Tips before you paint:

• Always do a test patch on one of the room walls. Allow it to dry completely as the dried version is usually one or two shades darker.
• If you have a small room, use some white or very light colors as will make your room look bigger.
• t’s a myth that ceilings need to be painted white.They can be painted in any color depending on the room size.
• You can turn any color lighter, darker or muted by adding white, black or grey colors respectively.