You can make a major difference to any room by changing the color of the walls. Changing your upholstery or window treatments could turn you into large sums of money. However paint is relatively inexpensive and will make a huge difference in a hurry.

Before you choose anything look to the current fabrics or tiles in the room. Actually this is the best plan even on new construction or remodel. You will be more limited in choice of color when it comes to your carpet, tile or upholstery so get them first then choose the paint that compliments them.

Your choice of fabric can produce three options for your wall colors, each will result in a different feel to the room. When you can tell what your fabric offers then decide on the feelings you want the room to convey, calm, cozy, energy, playful?

This practice of beginning with the fabric can apply to any room in the house, not just the living room. Comforters and curtains can be a great place to start in the bedroom. Same principle for bathrooms, sun rooms or playrooms the curtains or drapes are a perfect place to start when choosing a color scheme.

In order to begin with your fabric take a small sample piece from your couch or curtains when you go shopping for paint. Compare them to paint samples and look for colors that draw out the different hues in the fabric. You do not have to find an exact match, look for complimentary colors or contrasts that will really make a statement in the room.

Like all rules there is always the exception, choosing an exact match between walls and drapes can give the room a larger more open feel while retaining some dimension and depth.

To do this you will again need a sample of the fabric to take to the paint department of your home improvement store. Once there the associate will use a spectrometer to determine the exact color. The fabric must be a one color and of solid design, different tones or hues will throw the machine off and the results will not be an exact match.

Your color choices will decide what aspect of the room you want to accentuate. For instance light walls will make dark furniture and carpet stand out and vice versa is true. Matching the walls and window treatments forms a solid background against which your couch or love seat can stand out as center pieces of the decor. You can also draw more attention to windows by choosing light drapery contrasted against darkly colored walls.

While making your choices remember that comparison cards are small and only an indication of what the paint may look like. To get a better idea always test your color choices on either a section of your wall or on test board. Be sure to look at the color in all kinds of light as sunlight can drastically change a colors appearance.

On the other hand if you are more fond of neutral colors try out a color a few shades darker than the initial choice. This is because light neutral shades tend to look washed out in large areas. Go with a deeper hue to keep the room from being bland.

Another thing to remember is the texture of the surface you are painting. Surfaces like stucco and brick will look much darker than smooth walls of the same color. This is because they do not reflect the light like a smooth surface will.

When the primary fabric you are coordinating is a solid color then you can feel like there are too many color combination choices. However to get the best result look to the color wheel to get a feel for which colors work well together.

Choosing colors is all about personal preference and how a specific color makes you feel. Do you like bold intense colors or prefer soft pastels in quiet hues? When you have narrowed the field a bit apply test strips to your walls or a poster board to determine which colors go the best with your furniture and drapes.

A denim blue couch with red pin stripes might go well with yellow, red, coral or periwinkle blue. The yellow is warm, red and coral are exciting and this blue variation would inspire calm and serenity.

When you begin with a solid color the look is more evolved. The look will not be a matching one but it will give you the option of choosing a color you really like.

This approach will work with any color of furnishings. Use the color wheel to find colors that work together or contrast one another. Pick up the wall colors in accessories around the room, whether it is in throw rugs and pillows or some kind of art work. Repeat the process with the upholstery work into the scheme different aspects of its color in other areas, this give the room cohesive look.

Color is light and the color you think an object is will affect how much and what kind of light is falling on the object.

The most popular type of light in homes comes from an incandescent bulb. This light gives off a warm yellowish hue. There are newer bulbs that minimize the yellowing affect that leave colors looking more authentic.

To get a crisp intense look from your color you could choose halogen bulbs, however these bulbs are very expensive and have special handling requirements. Similarly fluorescent bulbs give off bright clear light. Instead of either of these look for bulbs that are warm or daylight matching, to prevent the greenish aura you get from these cool light bulbs.

Where you live, the seasons and the time of day all affect the appearance of natural light. There is a difference in the light from one geographical extreme to the next like extreme north compared to extreme south. This is where sample paints and poster boards come in handy. Buy a small amount of your chosen color then paint it over a large surface, like the poster board, and move it around the room or house during different periods of the day. This will give you a good idea on how the room will look through all phases of natural light.

Should you live back in the woods or merely have a lot of trees around your home it will change the appearance of colors on your wall. Especially in the summer when there will be sort of a green filter over everything. Some colors will not be highly affected by this nevertheless you will want take this into consideration when changing your wall colors.

Leon Tuberman has almost 40 years of experience in home furnishings and interior decorating. His furniture store, Barn Furniture has one the largest selections of American made solid wood furniture online. Whether you're searching for living room, home office, bedroom or dining room furniture, The Barn offers the best in heirloom quality wood furniture for your home