3 Tips For Using Color Theory For Interior Design
Posted on: 20 September 2017
When you want to update the interior of your home, the color wheel can be your biggest source of inspiration because there are numerous color combinations at your fingertips. Learning some basic color theory will make your design projects easier.
Go Complementary For A Simple Theme
If you want to keep your color scheme basic, the standby is to use complementary colors. Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel and create bold contrast next to each other. To provide enough options, you will want to use a color wheel that contains primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Choose a color that appeals to you and simply select the matching color by incorporating items that are its opposite. You can add a little variety to your two color selections by incorporating varying amounts of color saturation. For example, you might prefer violet as your base color. The color opposite of violet is yellow, which can be overkill for some people. A rich gold or pale yellow (shade or tint of yellow) might work better, while still keeping your complementary theme.
Choose Analogous For More Harmony
One of the downsides of a complementary color scheme is you can often end up with two colors that look more like a holiday celebration or professional sports team. Analogous colors are an option to give you more harmony with three colors that are related because they are near each other on the color wheel. Using the example of violet as your main color, you would include red-violet and blue-violet as your two additional colors. Analogous colors also work well for creating a certain mood because the three colors generally fall into the warm or cool groupings. If you want a vibrant design while keeping analogous colors, you might choose red, red-orange, and orange as your colors.
Incorporate Prints And Patterns
You can add spice to your color scheme by using prints and still keeping the color harmony. Prints are an easy way to to prevent a combination of colors from looking drab or to make a set of complementary colors usable for your interior. One example would be the classic red and green that many people will avoid because it is associated with the holiday season. Start with a neutral color, such as gray, black, or white, and incorporate floral patterns that combine red and green. Red roses are a classic example and can be found on throw pillows, upholstery, and floral arrangements. Using a floral print easily incorporates red and green without it overtaking your decor.
Color theory is often the root of interior design projects. If you have a single color in mind for your decor, use the color wheel to find additional colors that work well with your base color.
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