Choosing a color palette for your home can be a daunting task. Your favorite colors, or those that work well in accent pieces, may not work so well on your walls. Shannon Kaye, host of DIY Network's Fresh Coat, offers some helpful hints on picking the perfect shades for your home.

One of the first considerations in choosing a color palette should be the function of the room. "Think of the space and how you'll be using it," Kaye says. "How do you want to feel in that room - rested, energized, intimate, comfortable? These feelings dictate the colors that will feed your well being in each space."

Consider the general mood each of these colors can evoke:

• Red - Intimate, energetic, passionate
• Orange - Passionate, friendly, welcoming
• Yellow - Optimistic, uplifting, happy
• Blue - Soothing, tranquil, calming
• Green - Vigorous, fresh, youthful
• Purple - Mysterious, passionate, royal

So, for example, it may not be in your best interest to paint your dining room blue if you're looking to evoke a welcoming feel, and you may want to divert from painting your boudoir red if your goal is for a peaceful, tranquil bedroom.

"The dining room is a place for special gatherings, so it's important for people to look good and feel good in this room. Warm rosy or golden colors will work best," Kaye says. "Family rooms are more casual, meant for relaxing, so softer muted tones maybe in greens or pale yellows could work well." Kaye notes that bedrooms are fair game for any color, depending on the person's personality and mood. Plus, she says, "Doors can close off any colors that don't fit in the common areas, so don't worry too much if your bedroom palette doesn't match the rest of your home."

For transitional areas, such as stairwells, hallways and foyers, Kaye recommends using neutral colors that can complement the bolder looks you're trying to achieve in the other main rooms.

Once you've chosen the general colors for your rooms, your next step is to select a specific shade of that color. But Kaye says picking your paint on a whim at the store is a big no-no. "It's always best to choose your colors in the specific rooms of your home," she says. "Lighting is critical to color, so choose colors where you're going to use them."

Kaye suggests buying a color fan deck from the paint store so you can view an array of colors in the different rooms of your home.

Kaye warns that before you fully commit to your colors, you should buy sample quarts of no more than four possibilities. "Too many colors get confusing," she says. "You should brush out two-foot squares of each color on each wall to see how it will look from all directions. Take a look in the morning, afternoon and evening to see how the color changes throughout the day."

If you're selecting shades for more than one room, Kaye suggests painting wall swatches in areas that can be seen from one room to the next, so you can visualize how they will all look together.

Remember, while there are no hard rules for selecting a color palette for your walls, the shades you choose should be a reflection of you, the function of the room and the mood you wish to convey.