Rooms Renewed

Color Crash Course

Colors can speak volumes to you and about you. There are complex ways to explain what makes one person seek out blue over green or yellow over gold. But living with color does not mean simply painting your walls one shade or another.

"It's hard for people to understand how colors are going to work just by looking at samples. There are so many examples of color gone awry, and that's why people get scared," says D.C. designer Victoria Neale. Choose timeless colors, and bear in mind the influence of lighting. Dark colors and flat paint absorb light, while pale colors and gloss paint reflect it.