Are there ';rules'; for painting 1 wall a color inside a home?

I want to paint one wall in my living room to give it some personality. WHAT IS THE RULE OF THUMB FOR PAINTING A COLOR ON ONE WALL? From what I have seen on TV lately, it seems like the colored walls are the ones to the back of the sofa or the bed. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I SHOULD CONSIDER? WINDOWS?





One more thing... my living room %26amp; dining room is one room separated by carpet/linoleum. So if I paint the back wall to my sofa, it is the same wall as the dining room. DO I STOP THE COLORED PAINT WHERE THE LIVING ROOM CARPET STOPS? OR DO I PAINT THE WHOLE WALL TO INCLUDE THE DINING ROOM? WILL THE PAINT LINE DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE WALL LOOK BAD OR IS THAT A NORMAL LOOK TO HAVE?Are there ';rules'; for painting 1 wall a color inside a home?
Painting a contrast color in the room is a great way to bring out design aspects in the room and give it some personality. Some things to consider:





- It is usually a darker color than the other 3 walls and the two shades need to match. Sometimes, one is a darker version of the other.





- You need to paint the whole wall, so if the wall you want to paint runs into your kitchen, you either need to paint the kitchen portion as well or select a different wall to paint the contrast color.





- Try to stay away from walls with windows unless it is a long wall with a little space devoted to a window.





- The wall you choose to contrast will be the one where your eye is drawn first so it should showcase whatever is the main part of that room or a design aspect you like. If you want it behind your couch, consider moving the couch to a different wall.





- Make sure the curtains and/or pillows or something in the room matches the contrast color. In my living room, 3 walls are beige and the contrast wall is a dark rust/cinnamon color. The color is the same as my throw pillows and my curtains are a gold/cinnamon pattern. It is also behind the tv, not the sofa.Are there ';rules'; for painting 1 wall a color inside a home?
Rules, Schmules.... so many of the decorating 'rules' have been broken lately - in very nice ways, that I think the only rule left is... do you like it.





That being said, I think you're right that the ';line'; of paint between the living room and dining room would look odd without some kind of architectural break.
The rules are only enforced by the limitations of your imagination. You can paint it just a flat, though dramatic color, or paint a mural, or just get crazy and paint it the stripes and circles! What ever you feel like doing.


Paint one wall a medium to dark color, then the opposite wall a lighter or pastel version of the same color family.


Get a color wheel, see what colors are beside each other, or what is straight across the wheel in a contrasting color.


But keep it the same level of color.. dark and dramatic beside each other... or light and pastel... beside each other. But opposite walls can go for opposing colors.


Go to a paint store, or dept and look at the paint chips and color wheels... and let your imagination go!
The 1 totally important rule while painting a color on a one wall, is make sure you have enough paint for the job.