(Today I want to talk about a basic tool that can help you with creating a perfect colour combinations in your interiors- Invented in 1666 by Sir Isaak Newton colour wheel.
This circular diagram of colours presents a logically arranged sequence of pure hues. The colour wheel is designed so that virtually any colours we pick from it will look good together. Over the years, many variations of the basic design have been made, but the most common version is a wheel of 12 colours based on the RYB (or artistic) colour model.
Traditionally, there are a number of colour combinations that are considered especially pleasing to the eye. These are called colour harmonies or colour chords and they consist of two or more hues with a fixed relation in the colour wheel.
Secondary Colours: green, orange and purple. These colours are formed by mixing the primary colours.
Tertiary Colours: yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, yellow-green. They are achieved by mixing a primary and secondary pigment.
The colour circle can be divided into warm and cool colours.
Warm colours are vivid and energetic, and tend to advance in space.
Cool colours give an impression of calm, and create a soothing impression.
White and black are the absence of chroma and with gray are considered to be neutral.
Based on the colour wheel we can create colour schemes that will make our space beautiful and interesting. Today I will talk about two of them: complementary and analogous.
Colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel are called complementary colors (example: red and green).
The high contrast of complementary colour scheme creates a vibrant look especially when used at full saturation. This colour scheme must be managed well so it is not overwhelming.
Complementary colour schemes are tricky to use in large doses, but work well when you want something to stand out. When creating complementary colour scheme it is better not to use two strong colours together. I would advise to use lighter tint on the wall and use stronger second colour for accents for example.
Analogous colour schemes use hues that sit next to each other on the colour wheel. They usually match well and create calm and pleasant designs.
Analogous colour schemes are often found in nature and are harmonious and nice to the eye. When choosing an analogous colour scheme we have to make sure that we have enough contrast. It is better to choose one colour to dominate, a second to support. The third colour is used (along with black, white or grey) as an accent.
The colour wheel is a tool that can make your life easier when decorating your space. Complementary colour scheme is the easiest way to create visual impact in interior but it is important not to use two strong hues together- otherwise it can be overwhelming. Analogous colour scheme creates more harmonious feel and if you keep the perfect ratio it will look interesting too. These were just two examples how to create perfect room using colours. Next time I will give you examples of few more colour schemes based on the colour wheel so please follow my blog and leave me the comments below. And if you decided on the colours I recommend my post Choosing The Paint Colour. How To Do It Right? which will give you few practical tips too.
When decorating a house, colour and light have the most dramatic influence on how it will turn out. No wonder people are afraid of making this decision. We also have different ideas when talking about colour. How to define blue for example? For one person it can be the colour of the sky on the sunny day and for someone else it can be colour from the Van Gogh paintings or duck egg blue on Shabby Chic dresser.
While choosing the colour may seem easy it is not that straight forward.
How often did you buy a paint, the colour looked grey in store but when you painted your kitchen it turned out blue or pink? In fact the exact same paint looks great in your friend’s house. So why is this happening? What affects the appearance of colour in interiors and how to avoid making costly mistakes?
1. Always buy a real paint tester. Most of colour samples are printed so the actual colour from the tin can be different. Consider that on beautiful photographs of the rooms in manufacturers catalogues the paint appears differently. It also looks different on each screen (we all remember the dress right?).
2. Paint the A 4 sheet paper with the colour you want to use and check in different areas and corners of the room. This will also prevent from interacting between your current paint and the tester.
3. Test the tone the time of the day when you will be using the room the most. Close the blinds and turn on the lights in bedrooms to check how it will look in artificial light.
4. Don’t use few colour testers beside each other unless they will be used together. This is important because these colours will influence each other.
This four tips will allow you to make wise and faster decisions and by using them you will avoid disappointments later. This is just a tip of the iceberg as it comes to choosing the colour. When deciding on your colour scheme you need to consider few other factors like what’s already in the room or the environment outside the window (unless you don’t have the window… but I hope you do).
I will go more into detail in my few next posts so if you want to know more please follow my blog. If you have some questions or have any ideas what would you like to read about leave me a comment below.