As a homeowner, I know how hard it can be to make a choice when it comes to paint. Five years ago, we had a small house built for us on a tight budget. When it came to paint the builder really only gave us one option since we weren’t allotted more than one color for the budget. Room by room, my husband and I have been going through and repainting the house.

Last Christmas he bought me this lovely aqua-blue and brown bedspread set (it was by designer Candice Olson – very pretty) the only problem is, what kind of paint matches a set like that without going too bold?

The obvious choices are a blue or a brown, the only problem is the lightened versions of these clash with the colors. Our room is small so light colors are best — dark colors tend to make a room feel more enclosed and that’s the last thing we need. In the lovely picture that came with the bedspread the walls are an eggshell yellow, but the walls also have shelves and things to break up the color which is something we don’t have.

So, we did the only thing we could think of and bought a slew of paint samples to throw on the wall to get ideas. We contemplated on them for a few days, looking at all the colors in different lights and at different angles. We settled on a light brown that we both kinda agreed on and bought two gallons of paint.

My first piece of advice about buying paint – never settle. The paint we bought has been sitting in the basement, and the samples still adorn the walls. It’s been a year. To say the least, neither of us were really that excited about the color. Thus, the unpainted room.

But that doesn’t mean I am going to stop looking for the right paint, I know it’s out there. And now I’m armed with the lesson about picking something both me and my husband love. As well as my second piece of advice  —  choose a color you like, not a color you think will sell.

Walls can and should be repainted when it comes to selling a house. Things like flooring and cabinet choices are much more vital if you want your house to sell. But if you’re not planning on moving don’t freak out about a paint color that others might not like. Your house should be in peak condition when you go to sell, and if that means throwing a little neutral paint on the walls, then that’s what it means.

You should live in a space that is comfortable and unique to you. Which brings me to my last piece of advice — don’t stress out about it. If you make a color choice on a whim, you will probably regret it later. There’s no need to force an issue like paint color. Just keep searching until the right color jumps out at you. And just like trying on clothes or finding a partner, you’ll just know when it’s the right fit.