Every year when summer rolls around people look to brighten and refresh their homes with the bold, fun colors that represent summer flowers, sunny days and the outdoors.
One of the easiest ways to bring new and seasonal colors into the home is with professional custom framing. "Changing the matboard and framing of artwork is a nice option to make a room feel new again. Add some matching pillows or accents and suddenly the room is fresh and new," says nationally recognized interior style consultant Barbara Schmidt.

"Home design TV shows have really increased people's interest in interior design over the past few years and they've realized the importance of color in the home," says Schmidt, whose work has appeared in Architectural Digest, In Style, Elle Décor and Metropolitan Home.

Schmidt recommends visiting a professional custom framer for a personal consultation and a variety of ideas on bringing new color into the home with custom framing. Professional custom framers nationwide carry a wide selection of matboard colors, great tools, like the Crescent 2006 Color Trends Forecast, and are trained to help customers choose the best colors to accentuate the artwork and their home.

New in framing for 2006, Schmidt recommends bringing in layers of colors -- not just a single color. Says Schmidt, "People are more and more sophisticated when it comes to color and decoration. You can't just throw up plain artwork anymore and have it look like it's a finished room. You really need to look at your color scheme and bring complementary or blended colors into your framed art."

No matter the color, Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, realizes the power color can have in home design and framing. "Color speaks in different ways, so people should choose colors they are naturally drawn to and that feel right."