When you go to the paint store to select a new color for your kitchen or living room, your task can be difficult and frustrating. Sample card colors in the store can look very different when painted on the walls. That’s why paint manufacturers have developed sample bottles; so you can test a sample of the color in your home in your lighting and against the furniture, floors and other aspects of your room. But even if you made a mistake and painted all the walls, paint color mistakes can be corrected.

1. If the color is too bright and bold

Dramatically bold colors like bright orange and blue for one or two walls in a room are all the rage and you may have jumped on the bandwagon of trendy colors only to find that it looks too loud. This is especially true if the other walls are completely white; there is too much contrast. Tone it down by painting the white walls in a neutral that balances the bold color, such as gray to balance the blue or cinnamon brown to balance the orange.

2. If there is an unpleasant surprise

If you start painting a color on the walls and it looks bad, return the can to the store and ask them to mix a color-correcting pigment to a shade that’s more in harmony with your room. Bring along a swatch of fabric or an accessory that contains the shade you’re trying to match.

3. If the color is blatant or dull

Sometimes the paint palette is just right, but it looks too dull or too blatant on the walls. The lighting in your room could be the problem: Switching from fluorescent to soft incandescent bulbs could make all the difference. A dimmer switch might also help.

4. If the color clashes with your furniture

If what you thought would be a color accord seems more like a color clash, painting the trim and other features like wall cabinets or crown molding can make a world of difference to the impact and interplay of colors in a room. For example, some stain shades used in woodwork can make a shade of yellow on walls look more like orange. Painting the woodwork white will neutralize that effect. You can also correct the color by changing the accents in the room: To tone down that same shade of yellow on the walls, add orange and red in the accents; use purple or green if you want the yellow to pop.

5. If the color is too bright

Washing out the color with a glaze that is a few shades lighter than the existing wall color will help diffuse the shine. Create a soft pattern by dipping a slightly damp sponge or rag into the glaze and rubbing it into the wall to soften the contrast between the base color and the glaze. This technique will also add dramatic texture to your walls.