What goes with what? How do I choose the paint colors for my home? What colors should I avoid? These are all questions I often hear. Color is the most important of all the elements in decorating, the least costly and often creates the most dramatic change. Color is also a great way to set a mood. It has been proven that we all have emotional reactions to certain colors and definite color preferences. In fact the visual stimulation of color can cause emotional, psychological and physiological reactions.
Color has three dimensions: hues (the actual color or pigment), relative values (as illustrated above right...light to dark) and intensities (degree of saturation of the pigment or pure color). An important thing to remember when choosing color is that color can reflect or absorb color depending on how light affects it. Without light there could be no color. The lighting in a room can have a tremendous affect on a color. Therefore, always select your color choices in the actual room where it will be used. Never depend on how it may appear in the paint store!
Before I go any further, keep in mind that this is a very basic primer for choosing color. Truth be known, I could spend months on the subject and still not cover it all. That said, I am hoping this will be enough to get you started on your journey.
So where should we begin? I recommend reviewing the time tested color wheel. Perhaps you recall learning about the color wheel in school. You know, primary colors of red, yellow and blue and secondary colors of yellow, orange and green. Basically these primary and secondary colors are divided into warm and cool colors. The warms are the reds, oranges and yellows and the cools are the blues, violets and greens. Therefore, they can help to create a warm or cool atmosphere to the room. It is important to note however, that you can create a warmer blue or green, for instance, by adding a yellow base or a cooler yellow by adding a blue base and so forth. The wonderfully bright and uplifting "Quince" touted in House Beautiful's September issue is a good example of a warmer green. Therefore there is some cross-overs to consider. Bottom line it is important to determine the "temperature" of the room before you select your color. If it seems to cool go for warmer colors and vice versa.
Here are some simple ways to create a color scheme for a room. Basically, there are two schemes. Related or harmonious schemes or colors adjacent to one another on the color wheel. An example of this would be yellows and oranges, blues and greens, reds and blues, etc or several hues of the same color moving from lights (even pale off whites) to deeper shades. These combinations are usually easy, natural and comfortable to live with just as the name "harmonious" implies. The use of one color in several hues is called monochromatic. Also the non-color combination of black, gray and white would be included as a monochromatic scheme. Monochromatics are very popular right now, especially in the natural colors like grays, creams and beiges. You may have noticed some of the trendy ads for Restoration Hardware, or Arhaus in recent design magazines. The use of monochromatics tend give the room a more sophisticated look. The wonderful new "natural" wallpapers are great to use in combination with this color scheme to add interest and texture.
The second is the contrasting or complimentary scheme. This scheme is loved by designers because it has more variety and drama. These are the colors lying directly across from one another on the wheel. If they are of the same intensity, when placed side by side, each makes the other seem more intense. For example, orange seems more orange if it is placed against a blue wall. Contrasting color schemes will always be a combination of warm and cool colors since they are opposites on the color wheel. They can be lively or restful depending on how much they are "grayed" down. When used 50/50, they can clash and cause an uneasiness to the room. It is therefore important to choose only one color to be dominant with the other(s) taking a secondary role as accents.
Again, to review, we respond to color on many levels. The main color of a room can affect your mood or emotions. Bright and bold color such as red can stimulate action, whereas a soothing, cool color such as blue can be very relaxing. You may have noticed that fast food restaurants tend to use the opposite schemes of the more exclusive restaurants. If a color you love is particularly strong or dark you may want to consider using it as an accent only. If for instance, you are having problems getting a child to settle down for the night...take a second look at the color scheme in his/her room. The same is true of yours. Remember your bedroom is the first and last thing you see and experience every day.
Another thing to remember is to keep the color scheme "flowing" from room to room to avoid that "patch-quilt" effect. Keeping a nice flow adds to the serenity of the home and also can make it feel more spacious. You can introduce new colors in rooms, just keep them in harmony with one another. It is also a good thing to have at least one color in common to lead you from room to room be it as a dominant or an accent.
When selecting colors from paint swatches take note of the base, keep in mind that a yellow base will bring more light into the room. My experience has been that most rooms need more light and this is a wonderful trick to do that. A red/pink or blue base will soak up light thus making the room feel gloomy or dark.
One last comment on choosing color schemes...don't forget the ceiling! it is the 5th wall of the room and too often overlooked. It may be a great opportunity to add some extra drama or coziness to a room. Pure white ceilings tend to add starkness to a room. This is especially true if you are using warm or wood tones on the walls and floors. In this case I would definitely recommend choosing a white from the warmer category.
That's all for now...good luck and have fun! Please feel free to email me or leave a comment if you have any questions.
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