By choosing to decorate with intense colors on the cool (blue-green) side of the wheel, you'll create a room with a bright, refreshing feel. If you tone down strong cool colors with neutrals, the effect is more peaceful and calming. Softer tints of blues, purples and greens are good choices for a bathroom or bedroom. Cool colors are good choices for small rooms, as they can make them appear bigger. Make sure the room has plenty of light to keep it from becoming too cold, though.

Decorating with colors on the warm (yellow-red) side of the wheel will create a completely different effect. Using intense reds, oranges, and yellows can be warm and relaxing, or warm and invigorating depending on the amount and intensity of the color. A primary red is extremely stimulating -- use this color with caution unless you're trying to create a room where no one will want to linger! Deeper reds are often associated with grand old country mansions, and these shades are often used in formal dining rooms (maybe because red is supposed to stimulate the appetite). Pure orange can be too intense for many people, but when its softened down to a warm apricot or terracotta, it can create an inviting, relaxing dining room, living room, or kitchen.

Choose colors you love and that make you feel good -- even if it's only a couple of throw cushions right now. Read some books or talk to some professionals about color, painting, and interior decoration before embarking on major painting and redecorating projects.

This color wheel contains the three primary colors, the three secondary colors, and the three tertiary colors. Cool colors are contained on the blue-green side of the wheel; purple can be warm or cool depending on whether it contains more red or more blue.