Money

Best Paint Colors For Every Room of Your House

By Ilyce Glink

Updated on: April 26, 2011 / 9:14 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

See how this list compares with the and the best paint colors for every room in your house 2013.

There are two nice things about repainting your house: paint is cheap and you get almost instant gratification.

With winter coming, and lots of unpleasantness surrounding the midterm elections, choosing some new paint colors for every room in your house seems like a fine idea. And, since painting is something you can do yourself over a weekend, there's time to repaint some of your rooms before the onslaught of the holidays, including Halloween (a new major holiday, nearly on par with Thanksgiving and Christmas, if you can believe local drug stores).

(Lipstick manufacturers have known for years that women will often buy bright colors - particularly red - when depressed or when the economy is depressed.)

What Paint Colors Should You Choose?

The colors you choose are up to you, but just remember the old 60-30-10 rule: 60 percent should be a dominant color, 30 percent should be a secondary color (typically the furniture color), and 10 percent should be an accent color.

We looked around the net and came up with a list of best paint colors for every room in your house. If you're looking for some color tools to play around with, try this Sherwin-Williams site, Behr, and Benjamin Moore's MyPerfectColor.com.

Best Paint Colors For The Kitchen:

In most homes, the kitchen becomes the unofficial living room, because- let's face it- people gravitate to where the food is. So why not make it happy? Light yellow gives the room a nice glow without being DayGlo looking. Painting one or two walls this color will boost your mood, without overpowering you. As an added bonus, yellow reflects light making the room much brighter.

Accent with: Greens for a natural, but fresh look.

Best Paint Colors For The Living Room

Blue is the America's favorite color, and why not, it is a calming color that exudes power. Comfort and relaxation is the key for living rooms, because you want something that you really can live in, and a deep blue does exactly that.

It is a familiar color that pairs well with most palettes, making it a great way to transform a dull living room without buying new furniture.

Accent with: Brown furniture for a relaxed feel, or whites if you want a cleaner, crisper look.

Best Paint Colors For The Bedroom

Deep reds are the name of the game for bedrooms. While too much of the color can be overwhelming, an accent wall will make the room feel intimate. Darker reds and burgundies will also make the room a touch darker, perfect for snoozing.

Accent with: Mix dark and light brown to give your room a regal feel.

Best Paint Colors For The Bathroom

Chocolate brown is a popular color for bathrooms right now because of the way it pairs with hard-to-replace tile and fixtures. It is a good fix for a boring bathroom and makes bath time a lot more enjoyable.

Accent with: Bright oranges and reds that will "pop" against a dark wall.

Best Paint Colors For The Office

It may seem stodgy, but stick to whites and grays for your office. The basic colors won't distract you, nor will they make you comfortable enough to take a nap at your desk. If you want to make it more chic, go for a lighter gray or silver. You will get the same benefits of a neutral room, without feeling too boring.

Accent with: Black furniture and a few colorful pieces. Most colors- besides dark browns- will look great against a gray backdrop.

Are you thinking of repainting? What colors are you considering, and why?

Ilyce R. Glink is the author of several books, including 100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask and Buy, Close, Move In!. She blogs about money and real estate at ThinkGlink.com and The Equifax Personal Finance Blog, and is Chief Content Strategist at RealtyJoin.com, a community for real estate investors.

Ilyce Glink

Ilyce R. Glink is an award-winning, nationally-syndicated columnist, best-selling book author and founder of Best Money Moves, an employee benefit program that helps reduce financial stress. She also owns ThinkGlink.com, where readers can find real estate and personal finance resources.

Twitter