Color is one of the easiest design projects you can undertake. Paint and home furnishing fabrics are within reach of nearly everyone. For a color palette to work in your home, it has to meet some criteria, from scientific to emotional. Answering the following questions can help get you started.

1. What is the room used for? In rooms that are not used as frequently, you can get away with more dramatic colors that might become overwhelming in everyday living spaces.
2. How big is the room? Lighter colors create a more open feel which most big rooms need where dark colors create an intimate mood that may be appropriate for smaller spaces.
3. What colors do you like/dislike? Use your instinct. If you love yellow and hate blue clothing, you would most likely love a butter color in your living space.
4. Are there pictures or places that inspire you? Use pictures or places you love to pull color from. You don't have to be totally original when choosing combinations. There's so many beautiful colorschemes in the world and you're free to copy them.

If you're still not sure of what colors to use, there's another method to finding out how a color will look in your room. Ask for a cutting of the fabric you're considering and keep it in the room for 24 hours. Same goes for paint. Buy a quart and paint a small section of your wall and see if you still love it the next day. If you do, go with your intuition and you can start building a beautiful color palette.