Color 101: How to Use the Color Wheel

 

 

 

If you have read my “about me”… you’ll know I don’t have a favorite color.

I have just one color that I don’t care much about… I am not a big fan of purple.

I believe most of us love color, I believe most of us are a little bit uneasy or perhaps don’t know how to use it. So today I am going to share with you some great color combinations that simply work!

In order to use color we need to UNDERSTAND color.

First let’s take a minute and look at the color wheel…

When it comes to color, keep in mind there are warm and cool colors.

These two groups will completely change the feeling of a room.

So when you are planning to paint or bring accessories to a space ask yourself
“How do I want this room to feel?
Colors have the power to set the mood of the space.

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Let me show you what I am talking about with the colors  yellow { warm} and blue {cool}…

On one hand Warm Colors will make a room look HAPPY, vibrant and full of energy. Therefore this color scheme will invite such feelings when you are there.

You can use warm colors  to bring light and excitement into a space…

Cool colors bring more of a soothing, peaceful and relaxing feeling to a room. They have more of a simple and quiet strength.

If you don’t want your space to be SUPER HAPPY but you don’t want it to be SUPER PEACEFUL you can even mix the emotions that both colors bring… and have a perfect fresh and cheerful space.

I better stop here for a second…Slow down turbo!

I think somewhere around  here is where most people get lost. Do you?

They know how they want  the room to feel they  just don’t know how to translate that to color.

Well, now that you have the warm and the cool down lets talk about how to use it.

To do this let me give you four basic tricks from the color wheel…Thank goodness I don’t do Interior Design anymore since I’m sharing all of my secrets

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This is a simple one color show….

You can transform a space using the same color in varying intensities from light to dark.

You’ll be surprised of  the power of ONE.

Focus for example in each layer of this cake…
Do you see how the same color changes in intensity?

You can do this exact  same thing in your  space… and you WON’T be wrong.

Here is the bottom cake layer for you transformed into a bedroom.

{ I added this one for you my friends that love purple ;) }

A monochromatic scheme is a safe way to bring color into a space.

Here is a neutral sample of it… see how all the gray tones are used over and over all around the bedroom. Simple, elegant and inviting.

Basically this is when you put 2 to 6 { I like to keep it under 4} neighbor colors of the wheel together.
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That many? Well yes!
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Think about having a big family color reunion. These colors will look different from each other but at the same time they have common resemblance.
At the end they will look GREAT together.

Personally I consider this scheme still part of the safe zone. It will give the space a clean feeling. Not too plain not too explosive, but gives you the opportunity to highlight some areas as accessories in a different color without being over powering.
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Here is a Navy Blue, Teal and Green example.
I love these colors together and I want the chair and the shoes.

Now in this next  picture there are three neighbor colors hanging out together…

I promise you, you’ll never go wrong if you “love your neighbors”

If you like this section you are without a doubt part of the bold zone.

A complementary scheme includes
hues that are directly across from each other on the wheel.

{ That is why Christmas looks so good! }

…I chose for a sample their sisters: lime and pink

Look how in this space they used all the different tones of blues and oranges together…

So perfect! Don’t be afraid of changing the color intensity, it won’t look just fantastic but will create interest and depth.

Crazy?Not so… Remember opposite colors will always COMPLEMENT each other. ALWAYS!

{fuchsia is a sister of purple… as mustard is a sister of yellow}

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FOURTH

triad scheme

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.Now you are far from the safe ZONE you are not entering the bold ZONE either you are right in it!A triad scheme is bold but more importantly, it’s balanced…like sweet and sour.

It’s made up of any
three colors that form a triangle in the center of the wheel.

Again if you follow this rule as bold as the look will be, it will work!

Here is a blue, yellow & red combination

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Or what about skipping two spaces instead of three and making a green, yellow and red…

So darn cute!

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So… here is my final advice.

Make your own paint cheap COLOR WHEEL with your favorite color tones.

If you are not sure about what color to use in your home or even putting an outfit together

 ask yourself just TWO questions:

What feeling do I want this room to have?

{energetic, peaceful, vibrant, calming}

How bold do I want it to look?

monochromatic?

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analogous?

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complimentary?

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triadic?

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Then play with these four simple rules… EXPRESS YOUR PERSONALITY and have as much FUN as color can bring!

Have a COLORFUL Monday!