When curating spaces in your home that feel organised and cosy, the key is to keep colour and cohesion in mind. One of the best ways to evoke a sense of harmony, is to create the perfect colour scheme for your home. Although it seems like a large task, it’s actually much simpler than you might think, here are our top tips…
The seven colour schemes
The seven major colour schemes are monochromatic, analogous, complementary, split complementary, triadic, square, and rectangle (or tetradic). You can search up each one until you feel inspired, and then tweak and personalise to your liking.
A handy ‘rule’
Following your instincts is great for some people when it comes to deciding on the perfect colour palette, but designing so specifically doesn’t come naturally to everyone, especially if it’s your first time decorating a home. This is why it can sometimes be helpful to follow the rules employed by the professionals, such as the 60-30-10 principle.
This involves dressing 60% of the room in your chosen dominant colour, which generally means painting walls or choosing carpets or woodwork in this colour. You can then complement the room with 30% of your secondary colour in the form of upholstery, curtains or blinds and large pieces of furniture. The final touches should be the final 10%, also known as the ‘jewellery’ of the room, which are the smaller accents which make a room feel complete.
Get to grips with the colour wheel
Created by Sir Isaac Newton, the colour wheel is a circular diagram of logically presented colours, made up of the two ends of the colour spectrum. By recognising how useful the colour wheel can be in creating a scheme, you can take yours to the next level.
Every colour on the wheel originates from the three primary colours – red, yellow and blue. By mixing two of these together, you get the secondary colours of orange, violet and green. When you mix these together, you can create tertiary colours, and so on.
This understanding is key, especially when deciding which colours will match up best. A harmonious scheme will be made up of colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel.
Complementary colours often sit directly opposite on the colour wheel and when used together, they can make a room appear more vibrant and dynamic. However, it’s advisable not to use complementary colours in equal proportion as the effect can be uncomfortable and distracting. The trick is to apply them in different measures, separate with neutral colours or reduce the intensity by implementing versions of the hues where white, grey or black have been added.
Make it flow
Whether you’re planning on a different colour for each room or if you want a similar theme throughout your home, few things are more pleasing on the eye than a home that has a sense of colour unity. If you’re keen to give each room its own identity with different shades, it makes sense to choose a palette for your entire home with the same underlying pigments and the same intensity of colour. This way, you can create an attractive sense of flow throughout your home.
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