How to Plan Your Color Scheme

The Color Wheel

When you're thinking about choosing interior paint colors, it's always a good idea to review a few basic color terms. Finding inspiration from the color wheel can help you imagine your home's color schemes more easily.

The color wheel identifies which color family a hue belongs to and how they relate to each other.

Primary Colors:
All colors except white, come from the primary colors:  blue, yellow and red.

Secondary Colors
Mix equal amounts of two primary colors to create secondary colors. The results are violet (red and blue), green (blue and yellow) and orange (red and yellow).

Tertiary Colors
Mix one primary color with larger amounts of another primary color to create tertiary colors. For example, mix one part blue with two parts red to make red-violet.

The Effects of Color

A green room evokes peace and growth.

Different color schemes affect our moods in different ways. Knowing more about what each color represents will help you choose the best paint option for every space.

Warm and Cozy Colors
Warm and cozy colors, located on the right side of the color wheel, convey a message of togetherness and strength:

• Red represents energy, power and passion. It’s also been found to stimulate appetite so it’s a common choice for dining rooms.
• Orange is less aggressive than red and creates warmth and a sense of joy. However, it’s very hard to tone down and is often used as an accent color only.
• Yellow has different effects depending on how much you use. Generally, yellow is a happy and uplifting color, but when it’s overused, it can become distracting and overwhelming.

Cool and Soothing Colors
Cool and soothing colors, located on the left side of the color wheel, provide a sense of calm and feelings of trust:

• Green conveys a sense of renewal and growth. It’s also one of nature's most prominent colors and blends easily into any room.
• Blue is generally a peaceful color. Light blue can make a room appear bright and refreshing, while a deep blue creates a sense of regalness.
• Violet combines the calm of blue and the energy of red. Violet is often used in bedrooms to communicate an air of serenity.

Pastel Colors
Pastel colors are created by adding large amounts of white to a saturated hue. They create a comfortable, airy feeling in any room.

Neutral Colors
Neutral colors include shades of white, beige, taupe, gray and black. Neutral colors are the easiest colors to use because they blend with most surroundings. These colors can also be stylish and dramatic. For instance, black and white are neutral colors that create a wonderful palette for additional colors. If you choose to paint your home with neutral colors, use bold-colored accessories to accent the walls and add visual interest.

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Choosing a Color Scheme

This living room utilizes a orange and blue complementary color scheme. The peachy pastel walls are a great backdrop to the luxurious dark blue sofa and rug. A burnt orange throw pillow helps to tie the entire room together.

A color scheme is any set of colors that work together to create a visually appealing layout. Below are some suggestions, but you can let your imagination run wild.

Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are located opposite one another on the color wheel. Each color brings out the richness in the other. When using complementary colors, one color should be subtle and the other color should be more dominant. For example, pair an intense violet bedroom wall with a light yellow indoor planter.

Split Complementary Colors
Split complementary colors offer a daring color palette. Select a main color. Next, find its complementary color, and then select colors from each side of the complementary color.

Related Colors
Related colors are located next to one another on the color wheel. These colors produce a less contrasted effect than complementary colors. For example, a dark blue-green combined with a light blue can give the feeling of floating in a blue ocean.

Monochromatic Colors
Monochromatic colors share a hue but have different tones, values and saturation. Picture a paint swatch card: It has different values of one color. Using two or more monochromatic colors, like a black wall paired with white home accents, creates a stylish and modern look.

Article adapted from Lowes.com

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