Choosing paint colors seems to frighten people, but in reality, it’s one of the easiest things to fix, if you do make a mistake. It’s just paint after all and you can paint right over it! Here are a few tricks to help you get it right the first time:

1. The paint on the small chip will look darker on the big wall. Always go one shade lighter. Buy 3 variations of the color to test.
2. Test the paint in the room at home. You need to paint at least a 4ft. by 4ft. sample to really be able to see the color.
3. Color is relational, which means it is affected by other colors around it. Buy large sheets of artist’s paper, paint them leaving a white border and tape them on the walls in different spots around the room. You’ll be able to see the true color on its own, without the existing wall color surrounding it.
4. If you have an item in a certain color that you like, take it with you to the store and match the paint chips to it.
5. Computer color matching doesn’t always work. Higher end paints have different bases and many pigments which make it impossible to duplicate the color by computer. If you want to try using a cheaper base, buy a small can first to see if it matches the color chip.

If your space is small, go up.

1. Vertical space is the key to increasing your living space.
2. Rather than buying 3 waist high bookshelves, build one, floor to ceiling bookcase.
3. Hang window coverings at ceiling height to draw the eye upwards which will make the room appear bigger.
4. Use the space over doors. A shelf can go the length of the entire wall at ceiling height, if desired. Towels can be rolled up and placed on a shelf above the bathroom door.
5. Buy a nice sturdy set of bed steps that can double as an end table and also be used to reach your items on high shelves. Accept that climbing up will be part of your lifestyle.
6. Buy narrow, tall dressers, instead of low, long ones. You’ll minimize the footprint of the dresser and the room will feel less crowded.
7. Use a wide, low dresser with another cabinet on top of it. Cut the legs off a two door, standing, spice cupboard and set it on top of the dresser. You’ll have the storage space of 2 pieces of furniture in the space of one.