How to choose the perfect color scheme

November 3 2024

Design Expert Nikhila Balaji

“

The home should be the treasure chest of living

- Le Corbusier

1. Find Inspiration for Your Color Scheme

An easy way to create a color scheme, base your choices on an image or item you love. This could be a piece of artwork, an area rug, a photo you saw online, or a patterned fabric that appeals to you. Pull out specific shades within the design and apply them to your decorating choices. Pay attention to the proportions of each shade to recreate a similarly balanced interior color scheme.

2. Consider Color Value

As you choose colors, don’t forget to consider the value, which refers to the lightness or darkness of a hue. A mix of values within your color scheme helps to keep a multi-hue palette from looking chaotic. Try selecting one dark color, one light color, and one bright color in each room. The color that acts as the room’s dominant hue depends on your preference. “Go for your comfort level,” says Mark Woodman, interior designer and board member of the Color Marketing Group. “Choose clean and bright or soft and subtle.”

3. Plan Your Home’s Color Scheme

If you’re wary of color, map it out first. Draw a plan of your home and list what will be in each room, such as the carpet, wall colors, and furniture. Gather swatches or paint chips that represent the colors of those items. Assess the spaces for both positive and negative attributes; write them down. Find focal points from the list of positive traits.

4. Consider How Light Affects Colors

Color is a reflection of light, so the kind and amount of light in a room will significantly impact a color scheme. Experiment with how natural light or light from lamps and recessed fixtures affects color in fabrics, paint, furniture, and other surfaces.

5. Trends and Timelessness

When creating a color scheme, it's important to balance current trends with timeless color choices. While trends can add excitement and make your design feel modern, timeless colors provide a solid foundation that ensures your design will remain appealing for years to come.

6. Psychological Impact of Specific Colors

Colors have a profound impact on human psychology, affecting moods, emotions, perceptions, and behaviors. The psychological impact of color is widely used in branding, marketing, design, and even therapy. Understanding the emotional and psychological responses colors evoke can be a powerful tool in making your designs more effective.