Color- Part1

Using the color wheel when decorating takes out all of the guess work, and makes decorating and accessorizing fun and much easier.

Let's start with some terminology, so you know what the heck I'm talking about later. (What can I say, I used to be an art education major, I love this stuff!)

This is the color wheel, I'm going to pick it apart and explain the components of it, and how they relate to design.

If you want to purchase a color wheel I really love the options this one has.

OK! Let's get this party started!

Primary Colors

Every color imaginable is made up of a combination of these three colors.

Variances from the base color come from changes in tone.

Tone-  how light or dark a color is

Tint- adding white to a color

Shade- adding black to a color

Secondary Colors- an even mix of two primary colors

Tertiary Colors- an even mix of a primary and a secondary color

This video explains SO much about color!

Now that we have the basics out of the way, let's get to the fun design part

Color Schemes

Complementary- Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. 

When paired together complementary colors really grab your attention, they make each other pop!

I use a lot of turquoise/blue-green in my house, so lately I have been focusing my efforts on finding orange, red and pink accessories.

Gorgeousness!!!

Talk about gorgeous interiors! I don't think it's possible to go wrong when you decide to add accessories in a color that complements your decor.

Monochromatic

A Monochromatic color scheme uses different tints and shades of the same color. I think the most important thing to remember when using a monochromatic color scheme is that texture is key, without it your room could end up looking flat and boring.

Elle at Ellementary Home was spot on when she created this paint chip art!

Wow, so that is a lot of color schemes for one post, so I suppose I will have to continue this one tomorrow, and I will talk about achromatic, triadic and analagous color schemes!