<h2>Artistic: Interior living room and bedroom paint colors</h2>
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In interior design, art is usually the final embellishment, brought in as a finishing touch to a room. However, there's an entirely different way to create inspired interior design—by starting with the art as inspiration! Even if you've never done it before, you'll find it's a very easy way to come up with great-looking color schemes.

Just imagine if one of your favorite artists—Picasso, for example—was a close friend, and you could turn to him for color advice any time you wanted.

Well, actually, you can. Here's how.

Start by asking: What kind of feeling do I want to create?

For example, you might decide you want to use vibrant colors to spice up a dull space, or pastels to create a livable, relaxing atmosphere, or neutrals to create a look of quiet, restrained elegance.

Next, visit a library or bookstore, and flip through images of the work of artists you most enjoy.


Tip:
You can also search the web for images—try sites of well-known museums to start with. Look for colors or color combinations you like, and think might work in your space.

Visit museums and galleries in person as well, but bear in mind that you'll want to leave with a postcard, a reproduction, or a photograph of your selections as a reminder of the exact shades and hues that most appealed to you.

You can usually see in the artwork itself how well each of the different colors work together.

If you own a piece of art you know you want to use in the room—a painting, a print, a poster, or some pottery, for example—just build your color scheme straight from colors in the art, using the suggestions below.


Tip:
Use a photo or a printout of your original art piece. Photos are easier to transport, and involve less risk of damaging the work.

When you find something you think might work, go to ColorSmart by BEHR™ online, (www.behr.com) to develop complete palettes from your art finds.

Start by simply finding the closest color matches you can, by eye.

In a few minutes, you can modify these colors and develop complete room palettes. You can even see how they will look, by painting rooms digitally.

For precise color matching, take along your art reference source to your local Home Depot and use their free color scanner, located in the Color Solutions Center. This will give you the closest possible matches to actual colors in the huge BEHR Premium PlusĀ® system.

You can develop and modify your palettes there, and then by using the Home Depot ColorSmart by BEHR™ kiosk, you can walk out of the store with your colors mixed and all ready to go.

Here are some examples of artwork—and the wonderful palettes they can inspire.

ABSTRACT STUDY, SHAPES AND COLORS

In this colorful abstract painting, the artist has employed a strong palette of complementary colors (colors from the opposite sides of the Color Wheel).(see The Creative Power of the Color Wheel feature) Just from the painting itself, you get a good idea how these colors might work together, with warm, chestnut brown as the main wall color, paired with an accent of deep blue.

This would make a warm and very livable palette for a dining room or study.

YOUNG GIRL AT CHRISTMAS

This charming illustration from about 1900, of a girl preparing for Christmas suggests a soothing neutral palette.

Using the soft, restful sage for the main wall color, and the warm, rich hue of the oranges as an accent, this scheme would look well in a bedroom, office, or dining area.

MALAY LANDSCAPE

This oil rendering of the sky and sea of the Malay Peninsula offers a number of possibilities for developing a color palette. In particular, notice the golden beige tones and warm browns of the setting sun, and how well they pair with the smoky blue of the sea.

This palette would be a wonderful thought for a bedroom, living room, or family room.

GREEN COCONUTS

Painted in Brazil, this oil on canvas composition has a hint of the tropics in its coloration, especially the yellow-greens and olive tones of the coconuts, accented with the warm terracotta of the vase.

This suggests a fun and lively palette, perhaps for a kitchen, living room, or an informal dining area.

THE PAPER CUTTER

This hand-colored, period engraving presents a fine palette of adjacent colors—golden mustards, rich browns, and deep, tawny reds.

This could be an ideal scheme for a living room, den, office, or hallway.

GIRL WITH ORANGE

This finely done illustration suggests an elegant neutral palette, with the main wall color coming from the soft grays of the little girl's dress, paired with the darker grays of the shadows. The color of the orange, the little girl is holding creates a warm, vibrant accent—enlivening the palette.

This charming scheme would be lovely for a bedroom, living room, or entryway

AUTUMN BUGGY RIDE

Here's an idea for a comforting color scheme based on an autumnal theme. The wall colors could be picked up from the warm beige of the woman's jacket, or from the lighter putty colors of her dress, with a refreshing accent coming from the complementary mid-green of the hedge.

This palette would be the perfect choice for a bedroom, living room, dining room, or family room.

Try the ColorSmart™ by BEHR interactive program to experiment with thousands of different color combinations and see how they look in actual room settings.

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