If it’s making over your home or your wardrobe, you’re going to have to commit to a color scheme, whether or not you have the knack for putting together the best palettes. But with so many color options available, from paints to carpets to upholstery, the choices can be overwhelming!

For years now, color psychology has come into play in home decorating. It’s widely thought that different colors give off different energies, which is why it’s important to give real thought to your paint choices before slapping on a color that might end up making you off.

Jeanette Chasworth, interior designer, design firm owner, and former Pasadena Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) president, has another feather to add to her hat– she’s also author of What’s Color Got to Do with It?, a practical guide for anyone who wants not only to transform their home, but also their health, mood, and well-being.

“I wanted to put something out there because I go to the store and I hear people fretting, ‘Oh, I just can’t pick out the colors.’ That’s what people get stuck on a lot,” Chasworth explains. “I just want to say to people, ‘Hey, look, color doesn’t have to scary!'”

Chasworth’s book promises to turn “fear into fun” and help you select the perfect paint color, “you will love and you will love to live in.” From guides on how to create mood with color, to using them to your advantage, What’s Color Got to Do with It? can help you transform you and your family’s home (and lives) for the better.

“It goes through all the clinical processes that I go through when I walk to a room, and it helps people to make a better decision. So that they don’t put up a color [that makes them] go ill,” chuckles Chasworth. “It goes into how color works, what makes color work and what makes color work for you.”

“Color affects how [we] feel, there’s a point emotionally, and so I go into what the different colors mean and how they can affect people. And then each color has an energy as well that fits your personality, so I go into that and there’s some basic painting tips to keep you from making a mistake.”

But more than just guides on how to select the perfect palette for our homes, the book also contains stories on how visuals affect our moods and health.

(Remember our story about the little girl’s room where the paint job gave her nightmares?)

Chasworth points out, “What doctor would prescribe yellow to get rid of the nightmares? They would’ve given her pills if she wasn’t already on pill[s], which I don’t know. She would’ve been taking all kinds of anti-depressants and mood enhancers that she didn’t need. All she needed was a can of paint.”

What’s Color Got to Do With It? has already garnered 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with readers raving that the book is more personal than any other design book on the market today. Readers have commented that it is a “must-read,” “confidence-builder,” and even “a great conversation piece” and “fun display on your coffee table.”

While others focus on the technical aspects of interior design, Chasworth’s work delves into the psychological and personal aspects of selecting color and how it can affect our lives.

“It’s kind of fun. I do a thing where I go to somebody’s house and I do this little personality quiz.”  Chasworth asks a person their favorite color and based on that alone, perfectly describes a new acquaintance’s personality.

“Because they’re like ‘Oh my god, you’re psychic!’ I just say, ‘No, I’m just good at reading people.’ I’m not The Mentalist guy. But I would love to do that.”

What’s Color Got to Do with It is now available through Amazon.com.

Jeanette Chasworth The Color Whisperer can be reached at 626.485.6354 and [email protected]. For more information about her work, please visit www.thecolorwhisperer.com.