Interior Design and Color

Published by: Elizabeth Gormley
Published on: 2010-01-10 15:26:13

Color is one of the most underrated aspects of interior design. A perfect arrangement of furniture in the most ideal layout of a Connecticut home will not be satisfactory without the right scheme of color. Color is not simply the icing on the cake; it is an integral part of the recipe. If interior design is an art, then the palette must have the proper colors for the canvas—in this case, the interior of your home. Color draws attention, plays on feeling, and affects mood. There are a lot of colors out there, but do not be overwhelmed. Most of them fall into groups that have specific purposes, to make selecting a little bit easier.

Neutral
Calming, stabilizing, and harmonious, neutral colors run from white to black, including all shades of gray. Some consider brown a neutral. Neutrals balance brighter colors and handsome woods. Maybe you’re considering a single red wall to give your living room some pop. Natural elements like a stone fireplace and lodge-inspired wood beams will do well with stabilizing neutrals.

Complimentary
Complimentary colors schemes lie on opposite sides of the color wheel, yet simply match, and are familiar side-by-side hues. Complimentary colors exist in harmony but add uniqueness, as they seem to burst and glow quite well together. A common complimentary scheme is red and green around the holidays. Think blue and orange, and purple and yellow. Complimentary color schemes are often seen on sports uniforms.

Analogous
Again, interior design is art. Analogous color schemes are used to show dimension in painting—and when designing and decorating a home. It is simply the use of colors that come from a common hue on the color wheel. Green is a combination of yellow and blue, and earth tones like brown and terra cotta come from green. Playing on green, one may create tones sharp and vibrant, like lime green, or quiet, calming, and natural, like sage green. Analogous color schemes play on one hue they share, to create depth and thoughtfulness.

Monochromatic
This is the technique of shading and tinting by adding black or white to a single color. It is similar to analogous scheming, but with a bit more structure. If a single blue hue is taken, and white is added for a lighter blue, and black is added for yet another hue, three wavelengths of the same blue exist—monochromatically.

Warm and Cool
Simply, some colors have a cool vibe, and some colors have a warm vibe. Warm colors are yellow, red, orange, and perhaps some browns. Cool colors include blue, purples, and greens. Some prefer to keep rooms either “warm” or “cool.”

Preferred color schemes, like much of interior design and art in general, is a matter of taste. While some like to keep it structured and elegant, others prefer to mix and make noise with color. The home is your canvas. Consider all the colorful options when creating the right picture.

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