Top Tips for Decorating With Color at Home

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Decorating With Color furniture at home

Summer is the time of year when color seems to burst out all around us, from our gardens and latest fashion, to the shops we visit and more. As a result, it is also a time when people think about changing the style of their home to add some more color and vibrancy.

However, it is important to use color wisely in your property, so that you don’t end up with clashing tones or garish, gaudy rooms. Read on for some tips you can follow today.

Don’t Go Overboard With Too Much Color

One of the first things to note when it comes to adding color to your property is that it is important not to go over the top with too many shades or the use of too much color. If you like to keep things quite simple, with just a splash of a lovely hue here and there, you are probably best off painting the walls of your home in neutral colors and then adding some pizzazz with a colorful statement piece or two.

For example, in a living room you can add a sofa in a bright color, while in a bedroom you can paint just one wall in a vibrant shade. Don’t forget too that you can add a pop of color easily with the accessories you use, such as pillows, quilts, curtains, rugs, plants and the like.

Alternatively, if you want to decorate with a bit more color, consider the well-known ratio that many designers use: 60-30-10. When using this rule, you divide the colors in a room into percentages; 60 percent is in a dominant color, 30 percent in a secondary color, and 10 percent in an accent color.

For example, in most rooms, the color of the walls will cover the 60 percent, while the color of the upholstery will constitute 30 percent, and the last 10 percent will come from accents such as a floral arrangement, a throw, some dishes, or the like. By working to this ratio, you will be able to add plenty of color to any part of your house, but won’t saturate a room with too much of a good thing.

Choose Your Color Palette With Care

Decorating With Color palette wheel pantoneNext, another good way to think about decorating a home with color is to choose a particular color palette and stick with it. There are numerous ways to do this, and they will all give a different kind of look. It helps to start by using a color wheel to think about what shades work well together. You can search this online to find programs and apps to help you analyze the various shades.

One choice that is quite popular is sticking to complimentary hues. This involves selecting two colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel. One will typically become the dominant shade in the room, and the other will work as an accent. As an example of this type of high-contrast look, you could pair blue with orange, red with green, or yellow with purple. Note that spaces decorated in this way usually have a clear separation of colors and tend to be best in more formal areas such as the dining room or living room.

If you’re worried this look could be a bit too full-on for your tastes, consider making the safer choice of a split-complimentary color scheme. This means that you choose one base shade and then, rather than opting for a color directly opposite of this to pair it with, you use the two shades on either side of that opposite color. These two hues will give more balance to a room. This choice works particularly well when you choose a muted color as a base, and then go bolder with the two other shades and use them in accent pieces.

Alternatively, another idea is to opt for an analogous color scheme. This means you choose colors (usually three) which are next to each other on the color wheel. It’s best to again pick one to be the dominant shade in a space, then another to support that, and the third to be worked in with accents. As an example, you could paint the walls in a dining room a distinctive gray color, then add furnishings in a softer gray or a charcoal or silver hue, and use accents such as a pewter tray or silver candlestick holders.  This analogous look tends to be more muted, restful, and casual, and works well in areas where you want rest and recovery, such as a bedroom or den.

Consider the Emotional Impact of Color

Lastly, as you decorate, keep in mind the emotional impact color can have. We all tend to associate particular colors with particular memories, items, and feelings. For example, red can be linked to fire, love, and passion; blue with the sea, air and calmness; yellow with the sun, energy, and happiness; and green with nature and vibrancy.

The different areas around your home tend to be used for various types of activities, and therefore may need to have different colors as a result. If you want a room to make you feel calm and relaxed, for instance, perhaps decorate it in hues such as blues and soft greens and browns.

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