Create a Mood With Color, 9 Ways

Inspire happiness, awaken energy and restore your emotional well-being at home — all through the use of color.

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8. Choose tones of the same color
To balance a strong color scheme, add variations of the same color, just as you find them in nature. "When you look into the leaves of a tree, the beauty is in the many tonal variations," says Joseph Berkowitz. "It's the same with decorating. You need to stray a little from the perfect match and get comfortable mixing colors together."

Design Tip:
Sometimes the best inspiration for a mood-inducing palette is right outside your front door. For example, use reds and golds of a sunset lit with the warm glow of candlelight to create an exotic ambience and romantic mood. Color Splash designer David Bromstad uses several shades of neutral beige mixed with orange and blue accents for this lively, fun living room.