Being afraid to venture into the world of color is common. With all the different options, it is easy to be overwhelmed. Have no fear below you will find three design options that take a bit of paint, a little fabric and a pinch of courage.

If you are longing to use some color but just cant quite find the courage an analogous scheme may be the right choice for you. Analogous color are those find side by side on the color wheel. Even when using forceful colors in say a breakfast nook, a matching color scheme is a secure option for a balanced appearance.

You can begin with a simple three foot of beautiful fabric for window treatment, when using a large amount of color in one place you can scale down, pick the pattern up on a table runner or throw rug, and make a dramatic statement.

In a large area, using warm yellows and oranges will bring surfaces closer giving the area a cozy warm feeling. Splash a bit of crisp white to keep the overall scheme from becoming grubby. Experiment with painting furniture, you can add to the color quotient easily particularly if it is a casual room.

For an energetic color scheme, make it sizzle with contrasting colors. Cool violet and warm yellow sit pretty much opposite one another on the color wheel, which makes them vibrant together. Lavish use of white over a large area will further contrast and keep it simple. Bold bright colors invite the eyes to roam around this is a great decision for someone who wants a visually stimulating room.

The most popular rooms for this type of color choice are kitchens and dining rooms. This is typically, where most family activities take place. Bold colors are also a fun choice for the kid's rooms because children often respond favorably to this type of color.

The important thing to remember when working with contrast is to create a rhythm with the accent color. Draw the eye around the room using accent color in flowers, throw rugs and lamps or lampshades. Take yellow in these few accent pieces, just a little will make a dramatic statement.

If you like the idea of an analogous color scheme but you tend to lean to the cooler side of the color wheel, here is another option. Try an eclectic mix of a little warm, like yellow, orange or red blended with cool colors like blue, turquoise or green. This is a simple coordination because the colors have a common root color in this case blue and yellow. This is a good way to bring a harmonious balance to this blend of furniture and accents.

Analogous color palettes can give you an enterprising area. With the above choices, the blue and green give off light vibrations. The greens will carry you toward the yellows giving you a pleasing tension between warm and cool. Even though cool colors lean toward the quiet side you can liven them up with the use of patterns and textures. Once again, generous use of white will offer you even more contrast and energy.

Hue simply states a colors name like red, yellow or green. The value of a color is its light or dark aspects. To achieve dark or lightness of a color is a simple matter of adding black or white respectively to the color.

Chroma, also known as saturation, is the intensity of a color, which is determined by how much gray is added to it. The primary colors, red, yellow, and blue, are pure colors with intense chroma.

Chroma is otherwise known as saturation, this is the intensity of the color and that is decided by the quantity of grey in the mix. Red, yellow and blue or the primary colors are unadulterated colors with concentrated chroma.

A tint is a color that has been mixed largely with white, a good example are pastels. A shade is a color mixed with black, like brick red.

Everyone is a little different when it comes to how color affects them however; there are a few general attributes that are given to some colors.

Blue can feel calm and peaceful, however when it stands alone it can come across as cold. It needs a few warm accents to keep it from being institutional.

Red is the color of passion, and sometimes anger. This hot little color brings a room in cozy.

Pink is a petal soft color, when red begins to fade to pink the color becomes less manly and more softly feminine.

Yellow is light and cheerful like the sun it imitates, in little amounts it becomes glaringly harsh in large quantities.

Green is serene and calming, like in the natural world green contrasts well with warm earth tones.

Brown is a warm earth tone that can make you feel right at home.

If you have ever picked out a paint color based on that tiny color particle, you know how deceptive that can be. The bigger the area it is applied to the stronger a color will look. What was once a beautiful camel with a tinge of yellow on a small chip is now a gruesome orange on the wall.

Thankfully, paint manufacturers are recognizing this issue and have created a wet sample program, small amounts of paint that can be purchased reasonably. Before you begin, choose three sample colors two that you really like and one optional. Paint large areas with the sample paint; you can even paint several walls in a large room. Let the color sit for a few days evaluating the color at different times and with differing light sources then choose the hue that best suits your taste.

Leon Tuberman has almost 40 years in the furniture and interior design industry. His popular Los Angeles furniture store has the largest selections of American made heirloom quality handmade furniture online. If you're searching for Arts & Crafts and Mission style living room, home office, bedroom or dining room furniture, they offer the best in solid wood furniture for your home.