By Beatrice Kemp | SDUN Columnist

Ever wonder why the first month of the year always seems to start with a bang and end up with the blahs? As the “New Year, New Start” euphoria wears off, and reality sets in—along with the arrival of the holiday bills—you really need something to lift your spirits (other than your team making it to the Super Bowl). This year, try paint.

Pick a palette

When in doubt: Neutrals are a mainstay. Nothing beats soft creams, pale grays or shades of white for a classic look. But also take note of the 2011 “Colors of the Year” designated by the major paint producers: Benjamin Moore’s “Vintage Wine” and Dulux’s “Citrus Yellow.” A small dose of one of these deep, saturated colors can be used to give a room punch.

Make an impact

In a small space, such as a powder room or home office, try bold color. This may be the perfect spot for a deep plum or wine, a smoky blue-gray or a dark taupe. Paint it, live with it and if you don’t like it, paint over it. That’s the beauty of trying out color in a small room. Of course, red is a perennial favorite and, when chosen in a deep tone, it can provide a “wow factor” in any room.

Mixing it up

There are several ways to put together a color scheme using multiple colors. Go monochromatic by selecting a favored color and then apply several shades throughout a space. This produces a quiet, but sophisticated, aura—especially when the color range extends from dark to light. Paint manufacturers’ color cards will include up to four or five shades of same color on one card, thereby simplifying the job of selecting consistent colors.

If you are a bit bolder, grab a color wheel and select colors that are adjacent to create an analogous color scheme. Or try a complementary scheme, which uses colors from opposite sides of the wheel, such as combining deep blue with vibrant red orange.

Consider an accent wall

It’s not unusual to walk into a space and see one colorful wall in a sea of neutrality: The accent wall. While designers fall into two camps—love them or hate them—they can be useful design tools.

In open floor plans, that are so popular today, the accent wall can define boundaries by creating the illusion of separation. A deep rich color, such as dark moss, can actually draw you into the space and give the feel of separation while maintaining the feeling of spaciousness. A warm color can provide the illusion of closeness, so painting one wall in a shade of orange, yellow or red at the end of a long narrow space will appear to lessen the distance.

An accent wall in a bold or dramatic color can create a focal point in a room that doesn’t have an interesting architectural feature, such as a fireplace or a bay window. Placing a furniture grouping against the wall also helps to create a point that draws your attention when you enter the room.

Add punch with metallic

The reflection of light off metallic surfaces adds a bit of glamour in any space. Look for something that can be enhanced by a coat of paint that shimmers. While most paint producers seem to have dropped their separate lines of metallic paint, Modern Masters still produces some of the most beautiful and subtle shades of burnished bronze, antique silver, gold and muted copper.

A fireplace surround and mantle can go from simply nice to stunning with a couple coats of a metallic paint. And it does wonders for an outdated coffee or side table, adding just the right amount of sparkle to the space. Be careful about using metallics on walls unless they are smooth and flawless because every defect will be reflected along with the light.

Designer Secret

Nothing beats having a room painted by professionals who know what they are doing. But, not only does the quality of the painter make a difference, so does the quality of the paint. Benjamin Moore is a designer favorite. The colors are lustrous and the finish is always exquisite. Sherwin-Williams and Dunn-Edwards also are excellent choices favored by professional painters for ease and perfection of application. Consumer Reports ranks Home Depot’s Behr line as a top performer too. I recommend that you select your paint brand first, and then select your colors from the same line. Color matching with another brand rarely produces the intended results.

Beatrice Kemp is the owner of B. Kemp Interiors, a space planning and interior design studio in San Diego. She can be contacted at [email protected] or (619) 977-9006.