Eye-Popping Color

3. Know when to overdo it.

Spacious rooms scream for a dramatic statement, and one of the best ways to make your favorite color more prominent is to utilize it repeatedly.

The brilliant red Carol Bass chose for her living room walls didn't intimidate her. "When I saw the red poppies blooming in my garden, I knew I had to try that same red on my living room walls," Carol says. But she didn't stop there; she used the same color on several pieces of furniture in the space. "Reds are bold, and they energize any room," she says.

Why it works:
Painting your walls to match the tone on your couch and incorporating smaller pieces of furniture in various shades of the same color will get your room the attention it deserves. When using a color repeatedly in a larger room, neutral tones on the ceiling and floor add dimension and depth. Contrasting colors or neutral shades on accessories keep the focal color from overwhelming the eye.