Dispatches

Choose a short list of colors and repeat them across vases, art and books, group objects in clusters and keep small decor from turning into clutter.

Analogous schemes use neighboring colors for calm and cohesion, while complementary schemes use opposite colors for contrast and energy. Compare them for real rooms at home.

Roughly 60 percent dominant, 30 percent secondary and 10 percent accent is a useful guide for color in a room. See which pieces carry each role and how to fix imbalance.

Pick bathroom colors and finishes that handle humidity and dim light, with guidance on mildew-resistant paint, ventilation, bulbs and when a deeper shade can work.

Learn which bedroom colors feel calm, how undertones and lamp light shift them after dark, and how much contrast suits a space meant for rest.

A neutral base that can take accent colors needs an undertone that matches fixed surfaces, a middle-to-light lightness and little saturation so cushions and art can stand out later.

Run through the room's use, light direction, undertone, finish and paint quantity, then test a sample, before you buy a can of paint for the room.