Using Color in Decorating
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Using color effectively isn't simple, but if you are determined to get serious about decorating, you need to recognize the basics of mixing and matching colors successfully.
Color can change the mood of a room, and even transform the size of the room in your eyes. Blending or layering colors can add depth and texture to your decorating choices, and the right color balance can make all the difference between a knockout room and a ho-hum room. So, how do you use color effectively? First, it helps to understand the relationship between colors.
Warm Colors
Designers and artists refer to colors as warm or cool. Warm colors include yellows, reds, oranges, and some purples. These colors usually make a room appear smaller and cozier, so they are fine choices for larger rooms, or for rooms that appear too sterile or empty. They are often stimulating and exciting, so they might not be the best choice for a nursery or bedroom.
Cool Colors
Cool colors include blues, greens, and some purples. These colors are calming, and can make a small room appear larger. They are good choices for small rooms, or rooms that may be crowded with furniture or decorations. When blended with warm colors, they create a balance of visual and tonal interest that can give particularly attractive and distinctive results.
A Color Wheel
How do you know how to blend the right shades of warm and cool colors? If you're serious about understanding color, make a small investment in a color wheel. It's the best thing for grasping the true relationships of color and shading. Color wheels are available at most art supply stores, and some paint stores. They are moveable wheels that contain a full circle of color spectrum, along with wedges that indicate what warm or cool colors balance each other, and what colors do not. They are incredibly fun to play with, and you can use them for painting and decorating projects, but they come in quite handy for crafts and scrapbooking projects, too. They cost less than $10 normally, so they are even cheaper than experimenting with a can of paint.
Once you try out your color wheel, you'll wonder how you ever managed to decorate without it.