Overview:
Color is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. Color influences mood, emotion, and desire. When a person enters a room, he experiences an immediate sensation, one largely dictated by color. Color also has the power to make a room appear larger or smaller. While some styles have standard color schemes, a clever decorator knows how to deliberately select hues and tones that diverge from the model and make a space compelling and unique.
2.1 Color Definitions
It is crucial all interior decorators fully understand what color actually is, as well as the differences between hue, tint, shade, and tone.
Color is defined by Merriam-Webster, as "a phenomenon of light or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects." It is important to recognize that objects do not inherently have color. Instead, they emit light that is read by the human eye as "red" or "blue." Understanding the physics of color helps a decorator better understand how the ways in which color is perceived changes depending on a variety of factors that include light, scale, texture, pattern, material, and adjacent colors.
Hue refers to the colors on the color wheel. "Red" "Blue" and "Green" are hues.
Tint refers to a variation of a hue when mixed with white. Tints are always lighter and less saturated than hues. They are calmer and less intense. Pastel colors, for example, are tints.
Shade is the perceived color when a hue is mixed with black. Shades are darker than hues.
Tone is the result of mixing a hue with a combination of white and black. Tones can be darker or lighter than hues. They are however, less saturated and not as intense as hues.
When discussing color, the words saturation and value are typical reference points.
Saturation refers to how weak or strong a color appears. "Intensity" is another way to describe saturation. Saturation is effected by light, which is why it is important to test colors in daylight, dusk, night, and in various forms of artificial lighting. A color that looks highly saturated in a showroom can appear dull in a room with no natural lighting.
Value is how bright a color appears. "Light" and "dark" are the words typically used to describe how close a color is to white or black, respectively. The lighter a color, the higher value it has.
2.2 Color Basics
Color is generally categorized in warm and cool tones.
When selecting colors for an interior, you will want to think about other fundamentals of interior design, especially the principles of balance, rhythm, and harmony. To help guide your decorating choices, it is helpful to refer to the color wheel. The color wheel begins with red on the top and moves clockwise, to red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green (at the bottom), blue-green, blue, blue-violet, violet, red-violet.
The colors opposite one another, like red and green or yellow and violet, are complementary colors. These are colors that complement--look attractive--against one another. This is why the warm hue of orange pops with such vivacity when paired with the cool color of blue.
Colors that sit next to one another on the color wheel, like green and yellow or blue and red, are referred to as analogous colors. These colors also create a sense of harmony and are pleasing to the eye. They are often found in nature, as in plant leaves, which typically feature shades of both green and yellow.
Warm tones include red, pink, yellow, and orange. These colors produce spaces that feel energized and alive.
Red is associated with romance and is used to stimulate the senses. This is why fast food restaurants rely on red in their color schemes to stimulate hunger. A decorator can apply this same principle in the kitchen by displaying red cookware or in the dining room with a red banquette. When applied to the walls, red can make a room feel more intimate. When used to paint an accent wall, red can alter the proportions of the room and make it feel like a destination.
Pink can be glamorous or soothing. It is a fresh and interesting color that creates contrast and conveys femininity. Fuchsia is energetic, blush is tranquil, and salmon is dramatic. Too much pink can be saccharine, which is why deeper shades like begonia function best in hallways and other transitional spaces. Lighter shades, on the other hand, can be used more widely because they are more sophisticated and add a touch of playfulness.
Orange is a friendly, energetic color. Its variety of tone conveys everything from summer to innovation. Apricot and terracotta are relaxing; deep orange is cozy and warm; peach-toned and pale dusty oranges are pretty and inviting. Like red, orange stimulates the appetite, making it a good fit for the kitchen. An orange tiled backsplash is just enough to make a kitchen shine. As a general rule, brighter oranges, which can be overwhelming, are reserved for accents.
Yellow is a happy color known to stimulate memory and the nervous system. It encourages creativity and fosters conversation. Yellow is therefor an excellent accent color to incorporate in living rooms and home offices or studios. Saturated shades of yellow appear to emanate light, which is why they work well in hallways and rooms without windows. In contrast, buttery yellows create a warm, cozy glow and muted yellows are peaceful and fit for the bedroom.
Cool tones like blue, grey, green, purple, and brown make interiors feel quiet, calm, and relaxed.
Blue, the color of the sky and ocean, is a color of calmness and strength. Bold tones like sapphire are energetic and punchy, while light tints like sky blue are tranquil. Deep shades like navy are dramatic and intimate, while pale colors like robin's egg are uplifting and expansive. Blue can be used in nearly every room, including the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen. Slate is sharp, aqua is nautical, and midnight blue is luxurious. The options are endless.
Grey is soft and sophisticated. It is a neutral especially effective at making other colors pop. Grey has the power to anchor and soften otherwise loud colors. It can be masculine, yet romantic, which makes grey a shrewd choice for the bedroom. It also has the connotation of being dependable, which is why grey is often seen in offices.
Green, associated with nature, is a reminder of growth and renewal. Green is a rich color with tones that can be layered and juxtaposed to create drama and contrast, as well as balance and harmony. Celery green for example, is light and airy when used in the kitchen, but crisp and clean when featured in a bathroom. Still, celery is warm and relaxing in a living room. Blue-toned greens are reminiscent of spas, while mossy and olive tones are echoes of the natural world. Deep jewel tones are elegant, while bright lime green is vivacious.
Purple is the color of royalty. Deep tones like plumb, eggplant, and violet add richness and drama to an otherwise simple room. Light lavender is a soft color that communicates formal sophistication in a dining room and playful femininity in a child's room. Purple can function as an outstanding backdrop or an eye-catching accent.
Brown is a relaxing color that makes people feel secure. It is a weighty neutral that can either highlight bright colors or subdue the overall mood of the room. Brown in tones from beige to chocolate are earthy, warm, and inviting. It is sophisticated in an office and homey in a living room.
3.2 Color Schemes and Combinations
As explained in the first section of this article, complementary and analogous colors are natural color combinations. By using these laws of nature as a general guideline, decorators can develop innovative and impressive color schemes. Some of the more classic color combinations and color schemes are described below. These should be referred to as helpful starting points, but in order to create truly unique spaces, decorators should get used to taking paint samples home and trying out a wide array of tones until a combination is just right. A good decorator knows this process is one of trial and error and can take much time before one finds the perfect color scheme.
The seasons are one way to think about color schemes.
To evoke the joyful heat of summer, choose vibrant tints like lime green, citrus yellow, and tangy orange. Use these vibrant accents to direct the eye in rooms characterized by bright, yet subdued tones, like turquoise blue, citrus green, and pale yellow. Summer color schemes can also look to nature for inspiration. Seaside notes of off-white, iceberg blue, and thunder grey are airy and light. In contrast, garden tones like dewy green, linen white, wet soil, and red clay are rich and humid.
The cozy warmth of fall is evoked with deep orange paired with subdued yellow and brown. Red accents can add depth and interest to a fall color scheme. Other warm color schemes include variations of cool blue and purple, like lavender and aqua or slate and wisteria; neutral khaki punctuated with ruby red accents; and olive green, amethyst and wood tones, brightened with crisp white. When developing a warm color scheme, it is important to include one brighter tone to provide relief from what can otherwise be a dark and dreary interior.
Energize a room with tangerine and hot pink; orange and denim blue; or mid-tone purple and mustard yellow. Bright blue and sunflower yellow, as well as white rooms with neon accents like lime green or hot pink are further examples of lively color schemes. A strong red accent in a room characterized by neutrals, white, or richly toned blue can instantly invigorate a room.
To create instant drama, use complementary colors, like powder blue walls with burnt orange textiles; scarlet walls with espresso trim and eggplant furniture with dusty yellow throw pillows. Another method to give a room excitement and personality is to split complementary colors. To do this, select the color that will dominate the space. This is the base color. Next, use a color wheel to determine the colors on either side of the base color's complementary color. Finally, find shades of the split complementary colors to match the intensity of the chosen base color. This is your color scheme. For example, the split complementary colors of red are blue and yellow (because green is the complement of red and blue and yellow are on either side of green). In this case, the color scheme is red, blue, and yellow. An iteration of this color scheme is cherry, midnight blue, and mustard. Another is blush, powder blue, and banana.
Sometimes, a decorator wants to keep the drama out of the house. In this case, soothing color schemes are the answer to bringing serenity and peace into the home. Classic combinations include varying shades of blue and green, as well as earthy yellow and lilac. Blue-green, grey, and white; purple paired with soft blues; and dove grey with violet are more examples of relaxation-inducing colors. In the bedroom, navy is reminiscent of the night sky, while carefully placed coral accents act as sparkling reminders of the stars. For city dwellers, escaping into nature can provide much needed relief from the chaotic streets. Decorators can bring the calming effects of nature indoors using natural color schemes like magnolia white, sage green, and sapphire blue.
Color schemes can also evoke various periods of history. When decorating a period room, try one of these historic color schemes. These examples can also serve as inspiration for contemporary takes on previous eras. For example, classic Old World charm is evoked using golden yellow with mossy brown accents, while American Colonial juxtaposes rustic woods with earthy greens and browns and subtle blues and whites. Rich heavy colors, such as deep magenta and violet with black, and ruby red with peacock green and blue were popular in the Victorian era. In the period of Gothic revival, ochre, and gold were added to the ruby red, forest green, and deep blacks of the Victorian era. Meanwhile, the subtle elegance of Art Nouveau included colors like robin's egg blue and salmon pink, as well as lilac, mustard, sage, and olive.
2.3 Patterns
Patterns can enliven a room and make a space more dynamic and interesting. They can also subdue vibrant colors and create a calming sanctuary. Patterns help direct the eye to different aspects of a room and are useful when incorporating different style elements. In this way, patterns are powerful and can be transformative. For example, when a Hawaiian bedspread is laid down in a home surrounded by snowcapped mountains, a chilly bedroom instantly becomes an island paradise.
Patterns are used on walls, flooring, furniture, and other textiles. They define surfaces, impact scale, and communicate style. This is why changing or adding a pattern can completely alter a long-established room. There is no reason patterns cannot be mixed and matched. In fact, mixing patterns, as well as textures, can be fun and give a space an honest personality. This is one way to avoid the trap of coming off as a predictable magazine copycat. However, going overboard with patterns can be chaotic. As a general rule of thumb, three to four patterns with plenty of monochromatic breathers is enough variety to keep the eye excited without feeling exhausted. Working with patterns can be tricky. But by adhere to a few select rules, a decorator should feel prepared to take on the fun and fabulous work of patterns.
First, stick to the selected color scheme. The goal is for the eye to follow a particular color. Using a variety of patterns in similar shades will guide the eye and create an illusion of harmony between similarly toned pieces. This strategy unifies the disparate pieces and makes the space appear whole. It comforts, whereas the same pieces in a variety of tones might make one distressed and distracted. The unifying color can be bold or subdued. Neutral patterns for example, can be striking additions. Imagine for example, a sleek Midcentury Modern sofa in stark white leather with white throw pillows decorated with geometric embroidery. The sofa sits on a silver-and-white diamond pattered rug and is positioned against an ornamental carved white wall. As described, the room tells a story. It is elegant and evokes a sense of wonder. If the same room contained no patterns and only flat, monochrome surfaces, the space would appear as sterile as a hospital room. In this case, as in many others, patterns make all the difference.
When working with pattern, it is also important to consider scale. In general, the larger the room, the larger the pattern, whereas the smaller the room, the smaller the pattern. However, avoid repeating the same sized pattern in the same room. For example, a living room with toile wallpaper that features small-scaled patterns should include accent pillows with large-scale patterns like big, bold flowers or big, weighty paisley, as opposed to dainty vegetal motifs. A mix of scale is important, because too many large patterns can feel overwhelming, while an overabundance of small-scale patterns can feel busy and irritating.
