Previous to the selection of the right palette of colors, light must be highly in consideration. If your house enjoys natural light, intense colors can be an option; if, on the contrary, your house is north-facing and gets low levels of sunlight, it is recommendable to choose lighter colors, pale and warm.

Colors change with light, what you should take into account. To avoid unpleasant surprises, you should test a particular color at different times in a day and with different light conditions.

Thinking about the purpose of each room in advance will also help you to find the right color. As already mentioned in other sections, colors have a great influence on emotions. There are energizing colors and combinations, perfect for offices and play areas; and other, more relaxing, ideal for bedrooms, dining-rooms and bathrooms.

Combination of colors is another issue to take into account. Decide if you want to keep clothing and other decorative elements. If they are neuter, you won’t find any problem to combine them, but if they are bright, they should be the start point to determine the painting colors.

Combination of colors:

Success in the combination of colors can depend on your tastes or on theory. If you opt for the second, here you have some tips to follow:

• Monochromatic decoration: it consists in the use of different hues of the same color. As a result you get a balanced atmosphere in your rooms. It is mostly used for bedrooms.
• Neuter: these colors do not stand out over the others and this allows other striking decorative elements come into play.
• Complementary or similar colors: The selection of opposed colors from the chromatic wheel can result in daring and striking combinations; with similar colors, close in the chromatic wheel, well-balanced rooms are achieved.

Once colors have been chosen, it is time to decide the kind of paint: emulsion or water-based paint is the most common paint for inner spaces. It is easy to apply, quick drying and available in a wide range of colors. Synthetic paint is remarkably resistant and appropriate for high-traffic areas.

As important as deciding the kind of paint, it is deciding the finish of it: gloss, matte or satin. Gloss paints are easy to clean and very attractive, but imperfections and irregularities on the wall become more evident; a matte finish is perfect for rooms with natural light; and satin paints -half way between gloss and matte paints- reflect light, are easily washed and provide a beautiful silk effect, which enhance and give new nuances to your decoration.