Put together your own decorating color schemes - that really work!
Discover how to use interior design color secrets. And create a fantastic design for your home.
You now have a good understanding of the interior design color wheel - (recap here).
I want to show you, now, how you can use your new-found knowledge of color to create a really good decorating color scheme. A color scheme that you can use with confidence - because you know it will work wonderfully for you.
As you get more experienced, you will get a 'feel' for which colors look really good together. You will be able to come up with your own, really unusual, fantastic color combinations.
But, there are a few tried-and-tested, guaranteed-not-to-fail, decorating color schemes you can use. Professional interior designers use these color scheme rules all the time - so take a look for yourself ....
Choosing your Decorating Color Scheme
Use the color wheel to discover decorating color schemes that work.
Monochromatic Color Scheme:
One decorating color scheme is the monochromatic color scheme. This means using one color, with its shades and tints, to create a scheme.
In its simplest form, this is shown by one paint swatch color card. One color, with white or black added.
In practical terms, the monochromatic color scheme does not have to be just one paint swatch - but it does have to be just one color.
This scheme is really easy to get right - and its very simplicity is the key to success.
To stop this scheme becoming too boring - try using a deep shade of your chosen color on the floor, a mid shade on the walls, and a paler shade for woodwork or furnishings.
Make sure you add lots of accessories in all different tones of your chosen color. Add lots of texture too.
A monochromatic scheme uses different tints and shades of the same color. It doesn't have to be boring!
Harmonious Color Scheme:
Another interior design color scheme is a Harmonious scheme.
You will need to use your color wheel for this one - but it is still really easy to get great results.
All it means, is using similar colors in your scheme. Use colors which are next to (or very near to)each other on your color wheel. An example of this is to use a scheme made up of oranges and yellows, or one made up of blues and purples.
The only thing you should watch out for in using this scheme, is when using colors which fall either side of a primary color on the color wheel.
So, if you want to use red-violet (to the purple side of pure red) with red-orange (to the orange side of pure red) - make sure you always include the primary color with them - pure red, in this case.
Of course, you can use pure red with red-violet, or pure red with red-orange, with no problem.
Harmonious color schemes work really well when you use similar tones - that is, if you saw them printed in black and white, all the colors would look the same tome of grey.
You can use a variety of colors in this way - going right the way from pastel greens and blues to pastel lilacs and pinks.
Different, but very dramatic, decorating color schemes can be created by mixing soft pastel tones with deeper tones of harmonious colors. Don't use such a wide array of harmonious colors as above for this scheme - otherwise, it will just look messy!
This bathroom is decorated in a harmonious scheme. It uses colors close together on the color wheel - yellows and oranges.
Complementary Color Scheme:
Probably the most exciting and dramatic type of interior design color scheme is a Complementary color scheme.
This uses contrasting colors, that work well together - note the 'contrasting' - not clashing!
For this, colors are chosen which are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Try red and green, or blue and orange, or yellow and purple.
Also, look carefully at your color wheel, and work out your own choice of complementary colors that are not so obvious. You can create some really unusual and dramatic schemes like this.
When you use a complementary color scheme, be very careful not to use the 2 colors in the same quantities or intensity. For example, if you used a bright orange on one wall and a bright blue on another - you would get a 'flicker' or 'strobe' effect when you looked at it. It really would be quite disturbing and unsettling.
Instead, try creating a mainly blue scheme, with a few orange accents.
Or, use the same 2 colors, but in more subtle or pastel tones. Subtle tones of yellow and purple look great together - and are a far less obvious decorating color scheme then a full-on bright yellow and purple.
A useful tip, if you are wanting to tone down an intense color, is to mix in a small amount of its opposite. Try toning down a bright green, with a little red, and see the lovely muted tone you get. This is much better than just adding black to a color - this tends to 'flatten' or 'kill' the color.
Use soft red tones, with accents of soft green. For a dramatic complementary scheme, that's easy to live with.
Triadic Color Schemes:
Triadic color schemes are a decorating color scheme which uses 3 colors spaced equally around the color wheel - such as red, yellow and blue - or orange, purple and green.
Just like the complementary colors, these can 'flicker' and compete for attention, if you use the 3 colors in equal quantities or intensities.
So, just like the complementary color scheme - try toning them down, or use one main color, with small accents of the other two.
Give it a go! You will find this is an interesting and unusual decorating color scheme - and you can get some really great results.
If you stick to these interior design color scheme rules - you really can't go far wrong!
Combine this with a color you are crazy about - and you will soon be really loving your decorating color schemes.
Take a look at some of these informative video clips to give you more ideas on choosing colors for your home...
Simply click on the picture to start the player...
