Tips for Choosing and Using Color

So far in our discussions about color, we’ve employed the color wheel to address what colors work together and how to build a color scheme, the mood evoked by certain colors and where to look for color inspiration. 

Hopefully you feel comfortable enough that you’ve chosen a new color scheme and you’re ready to begin your home’s color transformation!

But there’s still one more point to address…how do you translate this new color scheme to your room?  Which colors do you use for the walls, floors, furnishings and accents?  How much of each color do you use in the space? 

When it comes to using color, there are no hard and fast rules.  But there are some designer tips and tricks you can use to create a beautiful, well-balanced and pulled together room.   Here’s how to successfully apply color to your space:

Designer Tips for Using Color in Your Space

Look to Nature

Often when people miss when applying a color scheme, the problem is not with the hues they’ve selected but with the values or intensities of the color.  One of the best ways to insure a successful balance of color is to look out the window and replicate the balance and color values you see in the Great Outdoors.  Choose darker values of color for the floor to “ground” the space (like the Earth), medium values of color for the walls (as in the trees and plants of the landscape) and the lightest values of color for the ceiling (like the sky). Dividing colors by value from dark to light, as your eyes travel vertically in the space, will ensure a well-balanced design every time.

Applying the 60:30:10 Rule

Do you consider yourself more of a left-brained thinker, preferring a more analytical, rational approach to things?  Then you’ll be happy to know that there is actually a formula for applying your color scheme to a room.  It’s true!  Like I said before, there are no hard and fast rules, but using a color ratio of 60:30:10 is a great way to balance color in a space.  Right now, pull out one of your favorite decor magazines or home furnishings catalogs.  I’ll bet that most of the rooms you see will illustrate this color ratio at work. 

Why does this rule always work?  It’s all about how the human eye perceives color.  The hue applied at 60 percent of the overall scheme sets the tone and unifies the space, the hue introduced at 30 percent gives the scheme depth, contrast and interest, while the last hue used at 10 percent ratio adds the punch and life to the scheme. 

Take your color scheme and divide the colors into percentages:

• 60% of a dominant color
• 30% of a secondary color
• 10% of an accent color.

 Then translate that to your room setting:

• 60% of the room’s color is the walls
• 30% of the room’s color goes on the furnishings
• 10% of the room’s color are the room’s accents

Use the ratio as a rule of thumb.  Not all the furnishings in your space need be the same hue, but you should use the color you’ve identified as your secondary room color on the largest upholstered piece in the room (typically your sofa). Take a look at the color ratio of the room in the photo above.  The dominant color (60%) is the orange-yellow hue on the walls and picked up in the rug, the secondary color (30%) is the reddish brown hue on the sofa, in the wood pieces, on the lamp shade, in the art and the rug, and the accent color (10%) is the charcoal gray/black found in the accent chair, throw pillows, art frames, lamp base and print fabric on the armchair and in the rug.  You can find all the colors in the scheme in both the armchair fabric and the rug.  Either one could have served as the color inspiration for this room’s scheme.

Bring in Black

Now that you’ve established which hues you plan to use as the dominant color, secondary color and accent color, there is one more color you should add to the mix in small doses.  Think black tie! Adding black as an accent in the space magically grounds, enhances and refines the other colors used in the space.  Try framing your art or photos in black frames, tossing a black throw or pillow on a chair, or using a black, wrought iron accent.  You’ll be amazed at how much it enhances the color scheme. 

Let It Flow

Once you’ve established a color palette, use color to create a flow throughout your home from one room to another.  If your color palette for the living room uses sage green as the dominant color, chocolate brown as the secondary color and red as the accent color, simply take the same scheme and use them in a different ratio in an adjoining space.  To vary the scheme, use a different tint (the hue + white) or tone (the hue + black) of the same color hues in other rooms in your home.

Consider Contrast

In a high-contrast color scheme, one that combines light and dark values of colors, like a deep spiced red with saffron yellow, the colors appears clearer and more highly defined than a space with low contrasts (like light gold with sage green). So using high contrast schemes will increase the formality of a room, while applying a low contrast scheme will result in a more relaxed feel.  Pairing black and white, the most extreme in high-contrast schemes, sets a formal tone (just like the tuxedo!).  When beige is paired with white, the low contrast scheme lends a feeling of calmness.

Okay, that’s it.  You have all the color tools in your belt.  It’s time to cast off your fear of color…go forth and COLOR YOUR WORLD!  Once you do, you’ll never be able to live in a beige, milk-toast room again.

Before you crack open that can of fabulously colored paint, check back for my post on Tips for a Professional Paint Job.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed.

If you would like to receive email updates to our blog, you may Subscribe to New Homes Real Estate Blog by Email

Thanks for visiting!