Color schemes play a big part in how your room will feel. Knowledge of the basic color schemes below will help you create the right feeling in your room and will assist you in choosing additional colors to complete your scheme.
Once you have your inspiration and have decided on how you want the room to feel, you can choose which color scheme is the best fit for you. If you are still unsure, the color schemes below will help you to get a better idea in mind. Don’t worry about painting the walls just yet.
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Analogous Color Scheme  |
| Three colors side by side on the color wheel. In these photos, red, orange, and yellow create a warm and cozy kitchen, while blue, green, and yellow come together in a fun and modern living room. Using colors side by side on the color wheel creates a unified, cohesive space that is easy and pleasing to look at. |
Complementary Color Scheme  |
| Colors opposite each other on the color wheel. These colors complement and accentuate each other. When complementary colors are put together, they both make each other really stand out and come to life. Complementary colors bring attention and energy to a space as shown in this bold red and green living room. They can also create a totally different energy as shown in this blue and brown bedroom. With a complementary color scheme, it is also important to add some neutral colors. Doing this will help balance the space and keep it from looking too busy. The floor color in the red and green room acts as a neutral. This gives the eye a resting place and keeps the bold colors from overwhelming the space. |
Split-Complementary Color Scheme  |
| One dominant color and two hues that sit on both sides of it’s complementary color. The colors will still stand out and have intensity, but not as much as in a complementary scheme. Green, paired with red/violet and orange makes for a fun and grown-up childrens bedroom. In the other photo, red/violet is the base color, while green and yellow are the split-complements. A split-complementary color scheme can create a more sophistocated space. |
Primary/Triadic Color Scheme  |
| Three colors all equally spaced on the color wheel. Primary schemes use all three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. This combination makes for great kids rooms, but can also be very grown up and sophisticated just by changing the color tone. You can see the difference as you compare the two photos. |
Monochromatic Color Scheme  |
| Using just one color in varying shades or tints. This creates a space that is very calming, unified, and sophisticated. It is important, however, to use lots of different textures with this color scheme to keep the room from looking too flat. For example, the photo on the far left has a very neutral color scheme. Because it incorporates different textures with the rug, lamp base, and accessories, the room has added depth and feels cozy. |
| Generally, colors on the cool side of the color wheel will create a calm, relaxing feel. Colors on the warm side of the color wheel will create a warm, energized feel.
Now think of your inspiration item. See which colors correspond to that item on the color wheel according to the above color schemes. If your inspiration item has multiple colors in it, then choosing corresponding colors will be easier. There are many color combinations to choose from, but don’t let that overwhelm you. Always remember the inspiration item. You will generally want to choose 3 main colors to complete your color scheme. Now you are ready to learn how to use those colors and how much of each color to use. |
