Home Decor
Read about color principles that provide tips on coloring for home painting and the principle of color design.

Color Principles

It is quite impossible to think of a world without colors. Colors have always been a part of our lives, used as signs, as a language, as symbols and as the reflections of our moods and attitudes. There are millions of shades and color tones in the market to choose from, each shade inspired from different aspects of nature and a person's immediate surroundings. There are many guide books, journals and magazines talking a great deal about the versatility of shades and tones each color can provide and about how to pick the right shade based on one's requirements. To save you from the pain of flipping through elf endorsing journals and magazines of paint and designer companies, here are a few simple color principles that will teach you to make right choice when it comes to colors. You need to be familiar with these simple principles that are nothing but tips on selecting the right color and the base for the effect each color has on your interiors.
  • One of the basic principles to follow while planning to pick up the right color is to get inspired by surrounding patterns and designs. You can choose the colors for your room, after taking into consideration objects that already exist in the room. You can choose your color after considering objects like rugs, paintings, bedspreads or a piece of furniture. Pick a color combination that complements the items in the room and use different designs and features to present your chosen color. Remember to choose colors with the same value, i.e. the same amount of light or darkness.
  • Another basic rule to follow is to choose any three colors from the pattern you select. The three colors that you choose will serve as the foundation for your color scheme and pattern. You should choose colors with the same intensity to get shades that complement each other.
  • It is advisable to know about and make use of the color wheel for selecting colors. Going through the color wheel will help you come across a variety of combinations of complementary colors and will also give you ideas on different combinations in different shades and intensities. The color wheel is quite simple to use and all you need to do is choose the base or the key color on the wheel. You will observe a triangle made by different colors along with the key color. The colors that make this triangle are known as triads and create great color schemes. However, if you are looking for bold combinations, you can go in for complementary colors presented right opposite the key color on the wheel. On the other hand a subtle tone can be produced with parallel combinations with colors located closest to the key color.
  • Bring home samples of paint and fabrics to determine the kind of effect different colors have on your room and the objects in it. You can pick up wallpaper books with fabrics to pair the selected color with a suitable fabric.
  • Contrasts have now become style statements that have been quick at gaining popularity. Contrasting combinations are the talk of the season because of abilities to draw immediate attention. You can make use of complementary shades to add contrast to your walls, but only if one color stands out prominently and the other adds the dazzle to it. Make it a point not to use colors of same hue, since it can spoil the mood you are looking to create. A mix of warm and cool color like blue and green or a yellow-violet combo will serve the purpose.
  • White walls allow enough room for innovation. The best part about white as a background color is that it can make a room look a lot bigger than it is. When white is added on to some color, the resultant is a lighter shade of the original. For example adding white to red leads to a new arrival: yellow!