Book Review- Home Rules

My sister and her husband just bought

their first home and we were discussing paint

colors the other day.

People who have been renters for a few years

seem to go a little paint crazy once they have

the freedom to choose their wall color.

Nate Berkus has a few good tips in his book

Home Rules that I thought applied well.

1. Don't be afraid to experiment with colors.

Sometimes it's the only way to find out what

colors you really love and can live with.

2. Try out my rule of four: One color, top to

bottom, can be a bore, two might work, three

can be interesting, four adds up to a rich,

sophisticated scheme

3. Your clothes closet often knows best.

If you feel comfortable wearing a particular

color, you'll probably feel comfortable living

with a shade of the same color.

4. Paint is cheap and changeable, and it

creates a rich result.

5. Try out your paint coors in the rooms where

they'll be used before you make an all-out

commitment.

6. Remember three things if your going to paint

it yourself: prep, prep, prep

7. To play it safe, keep walls and major pieces

neutral, then add color in the details. A patterned

pillow is a lot less risky than a set of boldly

upholstered dining chairs.

8. Unify your fabric and paint story.

Collect all the pieces of the puzzle on a story

board to see if you like the mix before you play

the decorating game.

9. When in doubt, men's suiting colors such as

camel, navy, gray, and crisp white are

reliable choices.

10. Use lighing to create mood and

influence the colors in your space.

Number 8 is probably my favorite tip. I love the

look of layered spaces that you can add to over

time, but in general you should have an overall

color scheme in mind BEFORE you start

painting and picking out furniture.

Once you have your large pieces taken care of,

then you can add more life and color to the

space with accessories.

This book was a fun read and had some

great tips and ideas for designing spaces

as well as some great inspiration photos.

Oh and the multiple photos of Nate

throughout the book were nice too!