The right color and the right paint can make or break the look of a room. Color makes all the difference to the look and feel of your home decoration project. Paints come in two broad-based categories: alkyd or oil-based and latex or water-based. Alkyd paints are best suitable for painting wood, while latex paints dry fast and are suitable for walls.

The color scheme of a space can make it look larger or smaller as the decorator wishes. For a more spacious look, the best colors to use would be white and light, cool colors like light tints of green, blue and violet. Warm and dark colors like red, orange, yellow and navy blue make rooms look smaller.

If a room has chair rails, paint the part under the chair rail using dark shades, and the wall over it using light shades, for an airy and spacious look. Ceilings are generally painted in shades of white, to give them an appearance of height. This gives the room an open and larger look. If a ceiling is high enough, medium or dark colors can be utilized to make the room look cozy as they tend to make the ceiling look lower than it actually is.

It is a well-established fact that colors influence the mood. Opt for relaxing muted shades for bedrooms and vibrant colors for the kitchen and dining room. Decide on the color scheme of your room, taking into account the furniture, window treatments and accessories in the room.

The color used for the trimmings of the room can also change the look of the interior décor. Add a dash of bold color to a room with a subdued color scheme, using a shade that is darker than the walls to paint the trims. Subtly accent a room painted in bold colors, using a lighter color to paint the trims. Rag rolling, sponging or color washing the walls using a light muted shade can be done to soften the look of a bold color on walls.

The number of coats of paint needed is an important consideration. Blue and yellow colors need more coats.