Pro Shares Bright Ideas About Using Color

Many people are afraid to use color, says Elaine Hankin, an interior designer in Huntington Beach. “They’re afraid they are going to make a mistake, yet paint isn’t terribly expensive.”

Colors from nature are the easiest to live with, Hankin says. Green is her favorite color. “I also like jewel tones. They add drama and pizazz to a room.”

Her suggestions?

Don’t use yellow in a bathroom; it can make you appear as if you have jaundice. Blue in the bathroom may cause you to look short of breath (but blue added to the ceiling color visually lifts it up). Always add a little pink to any paint to make it more flattering.

Avoid painting rooms orange if you’re on a diet; that color is said to stimulate the appetite. If children are hyperactive, paint rooms pastel colors, nothing bright or clashy.

Start with the addition of a bright pillow in a room to test the color. Rather than white, try gray on the walls to highlight contemporary art.

Lighting also makes a difference, Hankin says.

“Some fluorescent bulbs can bleach blues and reds. That’s why stores sell jewelry under halogen lights--to bring out blues,” she says. “Consider the outdoors when picking colors, since they should blend from inside to out. And look at color samples during different times of the day to see how light will change it.”

Colors also change as people age, because the eyes become yellow. Some blues and greens become hard to see.