Color Theory for Home Decor
Ever wonder how interior designers select their color schemes to decorate your house and create those fabulous rooms we all envy? It’s the color wheel, of course. While the “rules” of color theory are probably just instinctive to the pros, they don’t have to be difficult for the average person to figure out.
Here are a few tips you should know about before decorating your house with color schemes:
Try a Vibrant Look
For a vibrant aesthetic, choose from opposite sides of the color wheel. For example, if you want to showcase a painting of bright yellow daisies in your dining room, a vibrant blue accent wall will really make those flowers pop.
Try a Tonal Take
Choose colors from one corner of the wheel.
An all-cool color scheme would contain blues and greens and everything in between. Since these colors have a calming effect and represent comfort and nurturing, they’re perfect for a bedroom or relaxing study. Purple (even though it has “hot” red in it) is also considered a cool color. Picture a soothing master suite with powder blue walls, a sage green comforter and lavender throw pillows.
An all-warm color scheme would include oranges, reds and yellows, perfect for inspiring energy and movement. Picture a kid’s bedroom with vibrant yellow on the walls and a throw rug infused with red—wrapping the room in sunny warmth.
Be Subtle with Color
Select light and dark versions of just one color. Use a color from a favorite piece of wall art, centerpiece or decorative pillow and then—depending on the type of color scheme you want to create and feeling you’re trying to convey—find its perfect mate. For example, using a lighter version of a warm sofa color for the walls will create a relaxing, monochromatic scheme.
