ReZoom

You do know that the color red makes you eat more, right? That's the genius behind the McDonald's logo. Choosing the right colors for your home can lift your mood, change your outlook or just ensure that the family's more inclined to clean their plates on leftover night.

Color influences mood and behavior in myriad ways. Perhaps that's why so many people repaint their homes at winter's low point. The holidays are over, and it often seems like there is nothing to look forward to — or something to get past. The days are still short, leading most people to feel light-deprived and shut in. Since most of your time is spent indoors during the winter months, this is the natural time of year to reinvigorate your spirits by changing your surroundings. All it takes is a little paint.

"Since we don't change paint color with the seasons, choose a color that you really love, and be certain that the room is well-lit," says Leatrice Eiseman, author of seven books on color, including Color Messages and Meanings. "That way it doesn't make any difference what the season is; you will feel comfortable because the color 'speaks' to you."

That said, a color that calls your name in the paint store may have surprising effects on your mood, energy and the way you interact with others. (Check below to see the impact of each color.) Eiseman recommends buying a test packet of paint and painting a section of wall on a trial basis before making final decisions. And think bold.

"The biggest mistake people make in choosing home colors is that they forget to test run the shades in a large enough quantity and under different lights [evening and daylight], and they thus tend to make a timid choice to be ‘safe,'" says Margaret Walch, director of the Color Association of the United States.

Walsh's organization studies the psychological power of color, and helps guide color trends. Color impacts our moods on a small scale, but also impacts our culture through design and fashion. For instance, orange and green will forever be associated with the 1970s, and purple paired with teal screams of the 1980s. So, what color will mark 2007?

Walch foresees "multicolored contrasts, with light, bright, and dark colors. This is a dramatic change from the monochromatic or analogous color schemes of previous years, and represents an embrace of a more colorful attitude. Dull or bland neutrals belong to the past, not the future, as adventurousness in color application becomes a new norm." Don't be shy. Color your mood bright and beautiful.