Colors set a mood. They convey emotions and they alter emotions.
One thing that has helped me get through this final semester of nursing school has been planning for the home I will have one day. The biggest thing I have been focusing on is the color palette I will have initially. During some conversations with friends I came to realize that this is something some people either didn’t know about or haven’t given much thought to.
I am going to walk you through choosing your primary, secondary, and accent colors as well as ways to incorporate them into your home beyond painting a wall. There are so many ways to make a home flow and to express your personality just through a color palette.
The first step is to CHOOSE YOUR COLORS
You want to choose one primary, secondary, and accent color. Don’t confuse these with the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors from the color wheel. You can choose the three primary colors if you would like to be your primary, secondary, and accent colors.
- Primary Colors: Red, Blue, Yellow
- Secondary: Orange, Green, Purple
- Tertiary: These are created through varying amounts of primary and secondary colors.
The great thing about choosing a color is that if you were to choose red, you are not limited to cherry red. You are able to incorporate red in many different shades and tones to personalize the look and change things up from room-to-room. This is great especially if a monochromatic scheme is chosen. Which leads me to the next step.
The second step is to CHOOSE A COLOR SCHEME
There are a few major color schemes used when decorating a home.
- Monochromatic: As previously discussed, this is using different tones and shades of the same color to create depth in a space.
- Contrast: This is using a grouping of contrasting colors to create excitement in an area. This category is divided into three subcategories: complementary, split-complementary, and triadic.
- Complementary: This process is choosing two colors opposite on the color wheel. This produces a high-contrast look for spaces.
- Split-Complementary: This is when you choose a color and then two colors next to that color’s complementary color. So if you were to choose yellow, you could then use blue and red which are next to yellow’s complementary color (purple).
- Triadic: This is when three colors are chosen that are spaced evenly apart. These can be a wheel of tones, not just the traditional colors on the color wheel.
- Analogous: This is when colors are chosen that are next to each other on the color wheel. If you are wanting a more relaxing space this would be a great choice.
Start in the Formal Rooms
These are your main entertainment areas, including the entryway, living room, dining room, and (if you have an open floor plan) the kitchen. Choose colors from these rooms and change the tone to incorporate as accent colors for another room. These allows things to flow without looking uniform.
Use the 60-30-10 Rule
When decorating, it is useful to remember the 60-30-10 rule to keep your accent colors from overtaking your primary colors. The rule of thumb is to keep 60 percent of your area the dominant color (walls or large pieces of furniture), 30 percent is the secondary color (smaller pieces of furniture or upholstery), and 10 percent as the accent color (paintings, vases, etc). This keeps things interesting without becoming overwhelming.
Begin with Large Pieces of Furniture
When choosing your large pieces of furniture, the best advice I can give is to choose more neutral colored pieces. This allows you to easily change your home color scheme when you would like, without being limited to color options or having to purchase all new furniture which can get expensive.
When making your purchase, don’t fall into the trap of furniture sets. By piecing things together, you can personalize your space more and keep things from being so uniform.
Move into Smaller Pieces and Decor
Using your chosen colors as filler for spaces brings liveliness and is also easily changeable. If you were to choose something like muted sage and stone for a more earthy look then those don’t have to be the main pieces in every room. A print on a wall, a rug, or a lamp shade is enough to help the rooms flow together as you move from space to space.
If you have a picture or work of art or even a rug you love and want to use as the basis of your color scheme then begin purchasing or creating pieces that compliment it.
If you have an idea that you want to try before committing to, ask about the return policies of stores. If it is a paint or textile you want to consider, you can purchase swatches from many stores to bring home.
Consider Your Space
Consider all aspects of your space before making decisions on what you want to do with it. Is the room small? Does it have weird angles? How is the lighting? (This is such an important question to ask yourself). What are you wanting to accomplish with the space?
If you want to make the ceilings appear taller you can begin by creating a gradient. Your darker items need to remain more towards the ground and the further up the wall you go the decor needs to be lighter. Place your curtains two inches below the ceiling instead of right over the window pane and use a light curtain or one with a gradient.
If you don’t have much natural light, begin playing around with different kinds of bulbs and light fixtures. Different light sources alter the look of the colors in the room. A moss green can become puke green very fast with the wrong lighting. This is a key reason why swatches are so useful.
If you want a higher flow of energy in a space (like the living room) and a more relaxed space (like the bedroom) then change the color schemes for these rooms but still incorporate like-colors. So if you do contrast colors in the living room to bring in excitement and one of the colors is red, then tone the red down to more of a rust or burgundy color and use it along with muted oranges in the bedroom to create a more calming space.
Transitioning from Space to Space
If you need help transitioning spaces a great tip is to keep your transitional areas neutral (i.e hallways or landings). You can also incorporate the colors of your choice with a neutral tone that falls in between them in these transitional spaces. Having a color like black that you carry from room to room helps your chosen colors stand out more if you want to make a statement.
If you have a mother-in-law suite, pool house, or even just another floor to your home consider using a different color palette for these areas. If you choose to stay with the same palette, feel free to play around with the tones of the colors. These different spaces are not part of the main area and therefore you don’t have to worry about making these spaces flow with it.
There are so many ways to play around with the color, look, and vibe of a home. Never settle for boredom. You have so many opportunities to play around and create a space that reflects you.
Until next time!
XoXo, Mads