The color of a home is the foundation of any great interior design. Though it’s very challenging and cumbersome to pick a particular color of choice, so many factors will determine the appropriate color to use. If you coordinate your colors too much, it makes the room look too matchy, and if it’s not coordinated enough, it looks tacky.
You can to take a look and study the color wheel very well to be able to select the appropriate one. In the color wheel, there are three divisions of color, namely; Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary colors, respectively.
Color Groups
Primary Colors
These are natural and pure colors that cannot be created. The primary colors are Blue, Red, and Yellow.
Secondary Colors
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These are artificial, or human-made colors that are formed by mixing equal parts of two primary colors. Orange, Green, and Purple are the primary colors. For example, the mixture of yellow and blue gives out Green color.
Tertiary Colors
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This is also known as neutral color; this is gotten by mixing a varying amount of secondary and primary colors to create different hues.
Below are the steps to take to pick the colors for your home:
Start With Your Favorite Colors
It is advisable not to start with the wall color first, because it’s not expensive to get wall paint; instead, begin with costly items like the pieces of furniture, rugs, carpets, etc. After this is taken into consideration, you can now proceed to the wall colors. Though some people might prefer their color to be on the furniture and not the wall, this depends on your choice.
But one of the easiest ways to choose the appropriate color for your home is to start with your favorite colors. With this, you will not be restricted by the traditional belief of a particular decorating style, there will be freedom to please yourself, and you will be able to explore more designs. You can also take a cue from the color of clothes you mostly buy or from the color you feel most comfortable with.
Another source of inspiration in picking the right color for your home is the magazines or catalogs. You can also browse through the internet using social media pages like Instagram and Pinterest to get more ideas.
Create Your Color Scheme
You need to create a color scheme for you to be able to determine whether the color you have chosen is fit for your personality. You can get this by looking up the color wheel. There are four possible color schemes, namely:
Analogous:
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This color scheme is made possible by using the color next to each other on the color wheel. For instance, blue will be used with green or purple, and yellow will be used alongside green or orange.
Monochromatic:
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This color scheme is gotten by the tone of the same color with the addition of black or white to darken or lighten the color. For instance, in this scheme, blue can become navy blue or sky blue.
Contrast Scheme:
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This color scheme is somehow dramatic due to the combination of the colors. In this scheme, there are contrasting colors such as green-blue, red-purple, etc.
Complimentary Scheme:
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In this scheme, we have two opposite colors aligning together like blue and orange coming together to form a bold and dramatic color scheme.
As you choose your color, don’t forget the values, a mix of value within your color scheme helps in preventing the color palette with several hues from becoming chaotic.
And if you are unsure of the color to use, draw a plan of your home and the list of what will be in the room. Assess both the positive and the negative attributes and write them down. Focus on the positive and decide how the rooms will flow into one another, the mood you like, and the things to be included in the color palette.
Pay Attention To Lighting
Lighting is one of the essential parts of color. Color is also the reflection of light because the amount of light in a room will have a significant impact on how the color scheme is viewed. This can be seen in the way and manner in which natural light and light from lamps have an effect on the colors of furniture, fabrics, paints, and other surfaces.
It is widely known that; a room most actual colors are those found in the day time, and the hue will alter gradually as the sun rays travel through a varying amount of atmosphere, i.e., changes from sunrise to sunset. For example, Indigo can be like blue in a room and might look reddish in another room, depending on the lighting.
Lamps emit a redder and warmer light than sunlight, while on the other hand, fluorescent light emits a bluer and crisper light. So when selecting colors for a room that is used before sunrise or after sunset, make sure you consider the color used under the lighting in the room. Take note that, any color that has white will reflect the color that surrounds it. An example is a white wall will reflect the colors of the rug or carpet, and even the pieces of furniture around it.
Commit To Colors
If you like a natural or neutral background and love to add different colors to your room but not yet ready, there are numerous ways to add splashes of color to your home.
Textiles and fabrics such as rug, pillow, carpet, and window elements are some of the things that can bring more color varieties to your home. Artworks, accessories, and personal collectibles can also bring more color vigor to the room; it will also add pattern and texture to the look of the room. Even the color of flowers and tropical plants in the room will also make it look lively with the attractive and shiny colors they come with.
Note that with the right color, there will be a change in perspective of a room. For instance, a small room painted with bright colors can seem larger, while a large room painted with a dark shade of color can shrink in view.
Color Psychology
This is the study of colors as a determinant of human behaviors. Color also influences the human perspective of a particular thing. In branding and marketing, companies use colors to convey profound messages and information about their products or services.
In the flags of different countries, the colors in each flag depict a particular message varying from country to country. Factor such as age, gender, culture, sexual orientations, etc. can also influence how some perceive colors as it has different meanings according to their perspective.
