Three’s never a crowd when it comes to decorating, says leading architectural paint brand PARA Paints. In fact, a combination of the right three colors can transform a room from basic to breathtaking.

This is particularly true when it comes to paint, says Melanie Rice, Color Consultant for PARA Paints and a member of the international color forecast Color Marketing Group. “Gone are the days of painting a room one uniform color,” Rice explained. “Today’s trend is to use a mix of colors on walls, trim and accessories around the room.”

Achieving a tri-color look with any decor is simple, says Rice. The rule of thumb is to select a primary hue – or main wall color – which should take up about 70 per cent of color in your room. Next, choose two supporting hues to complement the primary color. Use one of those hues as your secondary color – for trim or an individual wall – covering about 25 per cent of color in your room. The final color should be applied on accents, window sills or doors, to highlight the remaining five per cent.

For those hesitant about using three paint colors in one room, Rice recommends applying two paint colors and incorporating the third hue in pillows, pieces of furniture or drapery.

Popular three-color combinations:

Midnight blue supported by off-white and turquoise

Steel blue highlighted with gold and cream

Rich red complemented by cream and deep orange

Soft gray accented by deep red and brown-red

“Be creative, explore, and try new and unexpected combinations, such as blue with green, red with fuchsia, or navy with black,” Rice says, explaining that while these mixtures used to be taboo, now anything goes. “To help pick a primary color to start with, we recommend selecting a color you like best from a fabric, carpet or painting that exists in the room.”

This article was provided by Para Paints. To help consumers select the most suitable three colors for their decor, PARA Paints has introduced a handy color selection tool with the launch of its new website at www.para.com. Visitors to the site simply click on their favorite primary color, and PARA automatically suggests two supporting colors that best suit the choice. For example, Blue Suede Shoes (P1910-5), Rice Paper (P2225-4) and Barbizon Blue (P1603-3); Flagstone (P2264-2), Robertson House Gold Tint 3 (P2060-2) and Almost Ivory (P1830-4); Elderberry (P2038-8-5), Wild Phlox (P2047-4) and Copper Nugget (P2376-3); Greyed Pearl (P2208-4), Blaze of Red (P329-8) and Rich Russet (P392-8). More color selection tips can be found at www.para.com. Also featured on PARA Paints’s new website are samples of the top color choices for 2008, painting advice and how-to tips, and a coverage calculator which instantly estimates how much paint is needed for any job.