Choosing The Right Paint Color—The First Time (NAPSA)—Apicture might be | abig worth a thousand words, but to many do-it-yourselfers, a simple snapshotis priceless. People thinking about a painting project can upload a picture of their room to the Web and use an interactive tool to virtually try out colors on their walls before they actually roll up their sleeves and get to work. The technology also lets people coordinate colors in a room— allowing them to see, for example, how one wall would look with a strong accent color or how a specific paint color would work with the furniture. DIY-ers no longer have to simply imagine how a color will look, they can see different versions of the room before ever dipping a paint brush—and there are more than 3,700 paint colors to choose from. The interactive program could keep countless painters from seeing red after they realize they've chosen the wrong color for a room. It’s called Paint Your Place and it’s available at no charge at the Behr website, www.behr.com. After selecting a color for their project, the site even lets people order color swatches or 8-o0z. paint samples for homedelivery. Those having a little trouble deciding on a color can check out the site’s newly revamped Virtual Color Center—acollection of color cards and samples—orthe Inspiration Gallery. The gallery is a group of wide-format, magazine-quality images meant to inspire homeowners to do more with color. It also provides a host of style, design and color advice from experts. People browsing the site for ideas can save interesting designs and colors in their virtual Work- a ms z a f i ee a ; —M i Innovative Web technology| ets people see how a color might lookin their room before they paint. book for future projects or add them to a shopping cart to purchase samples. The website offers these tips for choosing colors: Consider The Mood Think about how you will use a room and then choose your colors based on the mood you’d like to set. Cool colors such as light green and blue can impart a calm, serene feel, while warm colors including yellow and orange can help energize a space. Stay Neutral A great way to add subtle style to your home is to work with a neutral palette using colors such as taupe, beige and gray. The colors imbue a space with a welcoming atmosphere and can stand alone as a main room color or combine with other colors for an elegant effect. Work With Your Decor Try coordinating your color palette with one or two colors found in your existing furnishings, artwork or decorative accessories. Remember that a monochromatic color scheme—variations on just one color, such as sky blue walls matched with navy blue furniture— can help bring a cohesive look to your home. Get Creative Whenfirst creating your color palette, be sure to develop a few combinations. For example, choose your main wall color, such as brick red, and then experiment with varying trim andaccent colors, such as chocolate browns and bright whites. Create a different palette of two or three colors each and then determine which are most pleasing. For more tips, information and project ideas, visit www.behr.com.
