Do you often feel that something is lacking when you walk into your home? You may find that things just look dull, flat, and well—to put it bluntly—a little boring. People often make the mistake of decorating their home in white, beige, brown, and other bland, monotonous colors. For a room to have personality and interest, you need color! Whether you choose to add little splashes here and there or big bold accents, color can really change the way you look at your home.

Every home can have personality. You want a décor that’s vibrant, one that will attract the eye. You won’t be able to spark much interest with lifeless colors such as beige and white. This doesn’t mean you need to use colors like bright red and passionate purple. However, a few great colors can really liven up the place. Here are some great colors tips to help you transform your home from drab to dramatic.

Transform the Walls
Painting your walls is one of the biggest transformations you can make while staying within your budget. However, before you start, you need to consider the colors you’re going to use in your furnishings and accents. All your colors should either complement or contrast one another. If springtime hues are your thing, consider using bright greens, peaches, yellows, and blues. If you go with spring green, hang a botanical print on that wall for a cheery, springtime feel.

No matter what colors you choose, try painting only one or two walls, leaving the rest white. With this you can really add some dimension to the room. You might also paint the baseboards a contrasting color or a much deeper shade of the same color.

Floors Are for More Than Just Walking!
When looking at the complete picture, people often neglect to include their floors. Whatever flooring you have—whether it’s wood floors, tile or carpet—can be dressed up. Liven up those wood or tile floors by topping them with brightly colored accent rugs in strategic areas. Add rugs with patterns that reflect the rest of your décor. Floral, plaid, abstract, or geometric patterns all work—whatever suits your style of decorating. You can use area rugs even if you only have carpeting. They can be placed in front of the couch or in the center of a furniture grouping where you often entertain.

What About Furnishings?
This is the point where you will really start to have fun. People are often afraid to mix and match patterns. But if you have a floral sofa containing bright hues of green, yellow, and blue, don’t be afraid to add striped and plaid throw pillows containing those same colors. The result is simply stunning and the look will amaze you. You can also get a big bold splash of colors with some throws or tapestries. For solid-colored furnishings, use large throw pillow with loud patterns, brightly colored throws, or even a colorful quilt thrown over the back of the sofa.

When you want to liven up a dull look, the key is color and pattern. So get going and use your imagination, incorporating all the colors you love. So grab some paint, a few area rugs, some throw pillows and tapestries, and other accents, and get started!

Color allows you to add personality and energy to your home without spending a lot of money. The look and atmosphere of a room can be completely transformed for very little cost. If you’re looking for some bang for your buck, go with big splashes of color. Go ahead! With a little daring, you’ll never enter a boring room in your home again.

Simply painting a room can easily freshen it up, giving it an instant new look. Yet many homeowners dread interior painting. However, if you know what to do and how to paint in an efficient manner, you’ll find that interior painting is not that bad. Follow these basic interior painting tips, and you’ll find that your next painting project will be much easier and much more fun.

1. Don’t try to prep the area and paint it all in one day
This will only leave you feeling rushed, which more times than not will lead to a bad paint job. Rather, set aside one day where you concentrate on prepping the space. If you don’t use the room much, this can even be done a few days ahead. To prepare a room for painting, you need to focus on taping the walls, laying any drop cloths, moving the furniture out of the way, and gathering all the painting supplies in the room.

2. Don’t try to paint over damaged walls
Before you even try to paint a room, it is essential that you carefully look over the walls and fix any cracks or holes you find. Any cracks and holes you find can be easily fixed with a drywall kit and some sandpaper. The drywall plaster needs some time to dry, so be sure to do this at least a day before you paint. Leave some time to sand down the area as well.

3. Select the best brushes for the paint job
For oil-based paint, go with a brush that has natural bristles. However, for water-based or latex paint, synthetic bristled brushes will give you the most even coat. Foam rollers are the most efficient way to paint a larger space. For trim and windows, though, you’ll need smaller brushes.

4. Use a primer for a more professional look
Not only does a primer make the paint go on so much more even, but it helps you avoid possible tainting from a previous wall color. Even better, you can have your primer tinted to match the color you’ve selected, which may help you avoid having to put a second coat of paint on the walls.

5. Don’t forget to use painter’s blue tape
Use masking tape for any areas you don’t want to get paint on, such as doorway frames, trim, and windows. The great thing about this tape is that when it’s applied to a smooth surface, it won’t allow the paint to seep into those areas you’re covering. When the paint has dried, you can simply remove the tape. You don’t have to worry about any of the paint coming off with it.

6. Keep plenty of old rags around for any mistakes you might make
When painting, it’s inevitable that you will drop some paint on the trim or hit something you shouldn’t with a brush.

7. Keep your strokes even when painting to ensure an even coat
It’s essential to have plenty of natural light in the room so you can see where you are painting and also find any areas you might have missed.

8. Keep any leftover paint for future touch-ups or fixes
If you don’t have the space to store a large paint can that only has a small amount of paint, then pour the leftover paint into a glass jar with a tight lid and store it that way. Label the jar with the exact color of the paint, the room it was used in, and the date, and you’ll be all set.

Painting the interior of your home isn’t as scary as it seems. With these easy tips, you are well on your way to changing the décor of your home in no time at all.