Don’t underestimate the color power of a backsplash. In pairing backsplashes and countertops, “there are no rules,” she says. “That is a great place for color.” For example, if painting an entire kitchen wall your favorite shade of purple seems over the top, use purple accents in the backsplash instead.

Kennedy recommends selecting the countertop color before backsplash tile in kitchens, and vice versa in baths. “Tile is a wonderful starting point,” she says. “In fact, in a bathroom, tile is the place to start if you’re planning to do a significant amount of your walls in tile,” she says. “Go to a tile store and fall in love with a tile, and by all means, find something that’s fun and not boring.”

A good color scheme hits you right away, the pros say. “If you walk in and you’re not in love with it, the chances that it’s going to grow on you are slim,” Kennedy says. “I still walk into jobs that I’ve done in the past and they take my breath away. I hope that it’s love at first sight for my clients, as well. When they walk in, I want them to go, ‘I love it!’ and not, ‘Well, hopefully it will grow on me.’”