D E C O R A T I N G   T I P S

Choosing Colors For Your Home
by Jane Lazear

Color is one of the most powerful elements in interior design. Walls, furniture, floor coverings and window treatments all bring color into a room. Understanding how colors relate to each other will give you confidence and help you use color effectively in your home.

The Color Wheel

Developed by 17th Century physicist Isaac Newton, the color wheel describes the way the twelve colors of the spectrum relate to each other. All colors are derived from the three primary colors—red, yellow and blue. Three complementary colors—green, orange and violet—are produced by mixing two primary colors in equal amounts. Six tertiary colors are made up of equal parts of primary and complementary colors, producing colors such as red-orange and blue-violet. Tints are color tones produced by adding white to a color. Shades are color tones produced by adding black to a color.

Color Combinations

To unify a room, color balance is essential. Monochromatic colors (tints and shades of a single color) create a soothing feeling of calm and spaciousness. Analogous color schemes are created by choosing adjacent colors such as blue and green. Equal values of varying hues are most appealing. Triadic combinations such as orange, purple and green can also be pleasing. Contrasting colors from opposite sides of the color wheel are complements that bring interest and energy to a room.

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Choosing Colors

Deciding on colors for your home can seem difficult at first. Look in your closet for clues; what colors do you see there? Look to nature; what colors do you like in flower gardens? Buy several home decor magazines and spend an hour or two tearing out pages that you find yourself liking. After a few days, look back over those pages and you will probably see a pattern of colors or combinations of colors that are pleasing to you.

Inspiration

Study a painting that you have always loved. What colors could you use from a favorite work of art to light up your family room or bedroom? Do you like soft pastels or vibrant earth tones? As you start to pay more attention to color around you, you will get a better sense of your particular preferences.

Testing

There is no substitute for trying color in your own home, whether it be paint for the walls, carpet for the floor, or fabric for furniture. Borrow fabric and carpet samples for several days. Before you start painting the walls, buy small amounts of the colors you are considering and paint several three-by-four foot poster boards. Study colors at different times of the day to be sure you're getting the look and feel you desire.

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• Lighting
• Your New Sofa