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Choosing color for your interior part 1, The Basics
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Home owners can be very apprehensive when it comes to color. So much so that they often resort to white walls which can leave a room feeling cold, impersonal ,and somewhat like a mental hospital. With all joking aside white walls are a great way to start decorating especially if you want to base your color scheme around furniture and decor already existing within the room. In this three part series I will guide you through the basics of color, mixing colors, and how to chose the perfect color for your home. No one should be afraid of color not even you "Ms. I wear all black every day", so lets get started.
With so many colors to chose from picking the right one to suite you can be overwhelming. If you understand the basics of color choosing one will be a breeze. Color can be broken down into three categories:
Primary: Red, Blue, and Yellow are the pure colors, they cannot be made by mixing any two colors together. These three colors are the base for all other colors. They are located diagonally from each other on the color wheel.
Secondary: These colors are made by mixing two primary colors. Violet, Orange, and Green are blends of two primary colors. You will find these located between two primary colors on the color wheel.
Tertiary: Grays and browns (often referred to as intermediary colors). Tertiary colors are made by mixing either all three primary colors or a primary and a secondary.
Those are the basics of color, pretty simple, right? Now I will list several depths of color that most of you will be familiar with:
- Pastels: often associated with Easter and spring, pastels are considered "light and airy" colors. Pastels are based with white and color is added in. Use pastels to add a feminine touch to a room.
- Earth Tones: reflect colors found in nature. Stone grays, sky blue, bark brown. Earth tones are very soothing and are often used in spas. Use earth tones in your bathroom to create a relaxing oasis.
- Mid Tones: These colors are found in their full and natural state without any white or black added. Use for bold affect in a spacious well lit room.
- Jewel Tones: Turquoise, amethyst, sapphire. These tones are more intense than the colors above, but are bold without being dark. Try mixing jewel tones in with your earth tones.
- Deep Tones: These colors are the opposite of pastel and have a lot of black mixed in. Deep tones can set a warm mood in a room if used properly. Use caution in smaller rooms where deep tones can drag a room down and make it feel smaller.
You now have basic color knowledge and in our second part in the color series will explain how to mix and match colors using your new knowledge of the color wheel.
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