Home decor has to be on the top of most people’s list of exciting tasks. It is a fun way to occupy a weekend- or several weekends in a row- and an outlet for your creative energies, apart from being a great way to bust stress, all-the-while creating a fabulous new look for your home.

One of the quickest ways to freshen up any room is with a coat of paint. Paint dramatically changes the atmosphere of a room, alters the play of light and immediately livens up a stale, boring look that has lingered for too long. However, some rooms are quite tricky to repaint.

The kitchen, for instance, presents myriad challenges. How large is the space? How much wall surface do you need to cover? How is the lighting? You also need to think about cabinets, countertops and other functional areas, before you start painting the kitchen. When in doubt, decide on a theme. Here are a few.

Forest – Is wood the dominant material in your kitchen? Wooden floors and butcher’s block countertops go well with greens and nature colors. Recreate a lush forest look with pine green, or go with warm autumn colors rusts and pale orange-yellows.

Earth – If stone is the dominant element, with soapstone or granite countertops or flooring, go with earthy shades browns and beiges, with a hint of pale green or yellow to recreate a dry, rugged canyon look. Use sponges and applicators to create a textured, mottled look on your walls for an extra dose of rustic charm.

Industrial – If buff metal meets the eyes, such as copper or steel countertops and splash backs, go with steel grey, deep blue and similar dark, solid colors for a slightly masculine, high-powered professional kitchen finish.

City-slicker – Bright, lacquer finished cabinet walls call for a subdued pastel hue on the wall, so that the contrast plays out well, making your kitchen look chic and cheerful.

Grayscale – Depending upon how your floors have been done, consider an entirely grayscale palette for the kitchen. This could mean cabinets and countertop in various shades of grey, with walls of light grey and white trimming. A checkerboard flooring will complete the look, but that, of course, is a whole other project.

The key idea to bear in mind is that all the elements in your kitchen need to harmonize with each other, not only in terms of material used but also in terms of color and hue. Pick out the most eye-catching element in your kitchen, and build your theme around it, for a fail-proof painting project.