We get called into a number of homes where an innocent whisper of green has turned to tart melon or a seemingly sweet shade of pink almost smells of Jean Naté. Color can have a visceral effect. It can leave you unsettled, even agitated, but when it's done right the result is a wonderful calm with a hint of happiness. 

Eve Ashcraft has created a fantastic resource for people striving to strike that balance of color in their own home. She speaks of pale color mishaps saying, "Pale colors people think will stay pale are famous for betraying them when they get home. It's the pastel-y colors that will become much bigger colors and take over a room. If you like a color when it's little, choose something that's dirtier and not quite as bright."(sfgate)

I think what I love most about Eve's approach is that she seems to consider the art in a room to be as important as the light. By art, of course I mean everything from your kindergartner's latest masterpiece to a vintage eyechart. In Eve's own life, she likes to paint, and repaint, her NYC apartment "like it's some slow-moving lazy Susan," she says, "I just hit stuff as it passes by." (nytimes) I can certainly relate.

The Right Color takes a leisurely stroll through the history of pigment, which all self-respecting color nerds appreciate, and although to the lay person it might seem almost as daunting as a Benjamin Moore fan deck, it is a beautiful book worth the purchase for beauty's sake, but I really think if you give it a good once over before trying to tackle your home, you'll be pleased with the results.