Color: This doesn't have to be an argument

I like to think I know my way around the color wheel and I also admit the many times I have lost my way. Ask my family.

A paint store with all of those free cards of inspiration, it's a battle to pick just one.

"I'll take them all, in eggshell!"

See, there are very few colors I don't believe in, but also I respect colors that challenge those beliefs.

We lived in a Spanish Bungalow in California a few years ago and I set out to conform to the era by understanding what it could handle. Being me, I of course didn't do that, so I painted the living room a challenging (was supposed to be) sage green. At the time I had lots of plants and a Spanish red clay fireplace as the focus, the walls being swirled plaster. When the Sage Green was applied, it quickly became an infirmary green: chalky and too cool for the warm room. It was headache inducing. The hospital color was working at making us sick. My family let me down gently.

The amount of times I have not hit the right color mark is impressive, but it's also how I learned about color. The times I HAVE hit the right color mark made the furniture I already had, the mementos, books, art, and textiles come to life because of the right color.

Some people are very against color, some people are curious about color but won't make a move, some people like me are willing to try until they get it right. Getting overwhelmed with the choices is a real, because there really are too many choices.

So, how do you choose?

My favorite way to help someone is to see the colors and style they wear, the patterns they pick, if any. We can all admit to buying and wearing the same colors even if we think we're trying mix it up. Tell you what, that is your palette and you should stand by it. That palette can be handled with care and options.

An example of a color palette that has flexibility

Palettes can be swayed by the light in your space and any limiting architecture, but palettes are not set in stone and you can discover a new favorite color by just resting it next to another shade off or temperature. This works for the color adverse, too. Go to the paint store and see how many versions of white there are. A room in tones and temperatures of white can be so luxe. Light bounces and lands differently at different times of the day. That goes for any color palette.

None of us can argue that color is all around us, definitely inspires a mood, and can quickly transport a space with you in it. Take a chance, take the ride.