Trade trick: 

Amy recommends, after determining wall color with you, purchase small containers of color options and apply to a couple of large posters. Move to areas that get the most and least amount of light in the room and different times of the day.  This will allow you to determine what shades of color are best for the room.  This is also a good idea for any wallcovering.  Next, it is also important to find the proper painting contractor: 

First thing,  get written quotes from a few contractors. Considering the best price should not be the first goal.  It is important to get to know the company.  A great price is nice, but don’t let it be the driving force.  Remember you want a good job to be done with clean work, professional conduct and in a timely way.

Second, you will want to know what type of guarantee or warranty they have on their work.  See if they have a solid guarantee, this shows how confident they are in their work.

Thirdly, you will want to know how soon they will be available to begin and how long the job will take to finish.  Painting requires planning and scheduling to reduce the amount of time disrupted!

Finally, make sure you get some referrals of previous clients.  Make contact with them and see what their opinion is of the company. See how well they did the job, if they did it on time, and if they are a professional company to work with.