If you live amidst rooms of four white walls, you should know that there are many alternatives in paint and finishes for do-it-yourself decorators. The spicy paint colors palette adds vivid hues to otherwise drab rooms. Spicy colors look ideal in several types of decorating themes, particularly Indian, Moroccan, Indonesian, Italian, Mexican, Southwestern and rustic styles. You can stick with simple projects, such as an accent wall and a floating shelf with bright accessories, or invest in a full room makeover.
1 Gather inspiration from diverse sources. Look through magazines, but do not restrict yourself to home decor magazines. Travel magazines, art magazines and craft magazines can have inspiring spicy color combinations. Clip pictures and keep them in a folder. Also keep a notebook and jot down ideas from home design shows, friends' houses and store displays.
2 Audition spicy hues and palettes that appeal to you for wall colors. Oranges come in everything from rusty red-based to brighter yellow-based. Reds may have orange undertones or bluish undertones. Yellows can range from brownish mustard to palest pastel. Once you choose a color you like, you can use the accent colors on the paint chip card to either brighten, lighten or darken the overall effect, or you can create custom accents by using other shades. International foods and spices can provide good inspiration for color combinations, such as mango orange and saffron yellow or mustard yellow and chili pepper red.
3 Determine the paint effect you seek. Some people saturate all four walls in a single spicy color, and add accents on window frames, door frames and other architectural elements. Some people keep three walls in a white, antique white or earth tone and paint one accent wall in a spicy paint shade. You might also opt to use stencils to paint a spicy trim of chili peppers, ethnic motifs or paisley along the baseboards.
4 Extend the look to your room's furnishings. The spicy paint palette provides an ideal backdrop for decorating beyond borders. Mix and match pieces from around the world that incorporate artisan details, such as rustic wooden Mexican cupboards with oxidized metal hardware, French armoires with hand-painted trim, tables topped with ceramic or terracotta tile, wrought iron fixtures, Moroccan engraved wooden coffee tables, Southwestern textiles with Native American motifs and frames made of rustic wood, hammered tin or ceramic tiles.
5 Use textiles to pick up spicy paint colors in a room. Throw pillows, area rugs, table linens or an upholstered ottoman may feature accent colors and patterns that echo your spicy paint palette. You can also use textiles to provide a shade on the opposite side of the color wheel to cool down your spices. Try cobalt blue or bottle green to create contrast. Window, table, wall and floor coverings in natural materials such as bamboo, sisal, rattan, straw or organic cotton cloth add texture and balance to a spicy decor.
