Decorating your home does not need to be trendy, but it should be current, comfortable, and totally you! Some color choices work for one person, while others capture someone else's fancy. Forecasting color is really a trend that follows the fashion world. Colors that look good on people are generally easy to incorporate into your home's dcor. Many are experiencing an economic downturn and therefore we are trying to make home improvements without breaking the bank! Paint and color choice is the perfect way to create a mood and update. As with anything else, take these ideas loosely and work with what you have and what you like!

Strong colors. Remember back a couple of years when you couldn't walk into a house and not see a red dining room. Everyone embraced this color in the dining room for a number of reasons. It is very bold, and you did not live in your dining room- only visited it- so the color was not too overwhelming. Red was supposed to make you hungry, so the dining room was a natural choice. All of the other colors were soft in comparison- flooring, woodwork, fabrics, and therefore did not fight with the bold red. This strong color movement has moved out of the dining area and into the powder room. Again, a room that is not "lived "in, and can be shut off. Generally there is a lot of white fixtures here, so be bold with that color! Eggplant purple, chocolate brown, deep greens and blues all work in this tiny space. It's daring, but really current and attractive!

Soothing colors. The soothing colors of surf and sand (blues and browns) are still going very strong. Soft blues paired with stronger browns are used in bedrooms, living areas, and bathrooms. Soft blues can be incorporated even into the ceiling color, thus evoking the feeling of a sky. These colors tend to slow us down, so use them in rooms where you want to relax and unwind. They are harder to use in kitchen/dining areas, but a strong blue and yellow scheme is still attractive in this area.

Natural colors. Take a step outside and enjoy the landscape. Look around and find inspiration in what you see in your garden, neighboring park, and forests. The mixture of greens, browns, and vibrant flower tones work well together. Bring that look into your house. The fresh green of a blade of spring grass paired with the browns of a tree trunk and the golds of yellow twig dogwood are very striking and easy to live with. Use natural fibers and organic items in this dcor. It's a perfect mix for a great room or family area. In fact, most of your accessories can be found right outside your door! This color combination lends itself to changing seasonally, so if you want to change your look often, start with the natural tones of greens, browns, and golds.

Use these color combinations to inspire your next project. Try a bold color in a closet if a large space is too extreme. Take a trendy turn in a guest bedroom where you can enjoy it on a limited basis. Or go all out, and re-do your living space-after all, its just paint!