Find the existing dominant color that you like, or wish to keep, in the room or on the house. On an exterior, this could be the color of the brick or stone, pre-finished windows, or roof. For an interior, it could be the color of your sofa, your flooring, or your window coverings.

Determine what kind of feeling you wish to have in the room or on the home. Warm colors, such as red, orange, yellow or beige, can create an invigorating mood or add cozy intimacy to large spaces. They can help warm up a room that has northern or eastern exposure. Blues, greens, violets or grays, the cool colors, give a serene feeling and can add spaciousness to small places. The balance between light colors and deep colors should also be considered when choosing your house paint colors.

Consider how complex a color scheme you wish to undertake. There are three main color schemes to choose from.

Complementary Color are based on opposing colors. This scheme offers more contrast and can introduce both warm and cool colors into the area. An example would be the burgundy complementing the three shades of green in our front door. Notice application of monochrome, analogous and complementary schemes with the cream window and burgundy panels.