It can be terrifying taking a risk on your decor; especially when it comes down to adding colour to your space. Most people love colour when they see it in someone else’s design. But they start shaking in their boots when they even consider incorporating it into their own home. And with good reason, if you don’t know how to maneuver colours, you can definitely take some wrong turns in your design.
So I’m here to give you a quick lesson on how to choose pleasing colours, so you don’t have a meltdown in the process!
What you need to know about colour theory.
The color wheel can be divided into warm and cool colors. Warm colours are those like red, orange, and yellow. And cool colours are those like blue, green, and purple.
Warm colors are vivid and energetic, and tend to advance in space, making the room appear smaller.
Cool colors give an impression of calm, and create a soothing atmosphere. They also can make a room feel larger if used correctly.
White, black and gray are considered to be neutral, and can be incorporated into nearly any colour scheme.
One of the main premises of colour theory is that colours that are found in nature are more pleasing to the eye, than colours that are not found in nature.
In nature you will often find colours that are opposite to each other on the colour wheel look really great together. For example a red rose is primarily red and green, which are opposite each other on the colour wheel.
The other aspect of this theory is that analogous/similar colours go well together too. This means that colours that are next to one another on the colour wheel complement one another. Like the colours in the image below.
found on pinterest.com
So knowing these simple but important facts, you can apply this knowledge to your colour choices. Do you want your space to feel open and airy? If so, choose cool colours that feel calm and peaceful.
Do you want your space to feel cozy and warm? If so, use colours that are warm and vivid.
Now that you have the basics on colour theory and how to choose colours for your home without having a meltdown, I hope you feel you have enough to get started!
Your next step is to find an inspiration for your colours, and then select your colours. Make sure you choose at least 3 colours:
1 as your main colour, 1 colour to support, and 1 colour as your accent colour.
If you feel confident to kick it up a notch, try incorporating up to 6 colours in your colour scheme, like the beautiful image below:
from pinterest.com
I know it can be scary, but don’t worry, you got this! Try out different colour schemes on paper first, and then move forward when you are happy with what you’ve got!
Happy decorating 🙂
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