If you want to get good at home decorating, you need to learn about color theory.
Understanding how to talk about color, how to manipulate color, and how to create intentional color schemes, will improve your skills more than any other interior design concept or principle.
So, where to begin when learning about color theory for interior decorating?
There are tons of resources out there, and this beginner’s guide to color theory is as good a place as any. It will teach you all the basics without going into too much detail, so you can learn how to use color theory in home interior design quickly. Your knowledge will deepen and expand as you put the theory into practice in your interior decorating projects.
First Things First: The Color Wheel
The color wheel might be the best tool you have as an interior decorator. Once you know how to read it, you will have a cheat code for great color schemes.
There are a lot of color wheel variations, but the standard 12-color color wheel is the only one you really need.
There are three sets of colors within the color wheel. If you ever took a high school art class, you’ve heard of them:
Primary Colors: The three main colors from which all other colors are made. Primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.
Secondary Colors: Colors made from an equal mixture of two primary colors. Secondary colors are green, orange, and purple. Green is made by mixing yellow and blue. Orange is made by mixing red and yellow. Purple is made by mixing red and blue.
Tertiary Colors: Colors that are made by combining primary and secondary colors. Tertiary colors are yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and yellow-green.
Using the Color Wheel to Create Color Schemes for Interior Design
Once you understand how the color wheel works, you can use it to create fail-safe color combinations for your interior decorating projects.
Here are some of the best types of color schemes in interior design:
- All cool colors: Green, blue, and purple are cool colors.
- All warm colors: Red, orange, and yellow are warm colors.
- Analogous colors: Three colors that are directly next to each other on the color wheel.
- Complementary colors: Colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel.
- Split Complementary colors: One color and the two colors directly next to its complement on the color wheel. Orange, blue-green, and blue-purple are split complementary colors.
- Double split complementary colors: Two pairs of complementary colors. Blue, red, green, and orange are double split complementary.
- Triadic colors: Three colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Red, blue, and yellow are triadic colors.
- Square colors: Four colors that create a square on the color wheel. Green, orange, red, and blue are square colors.
- Monochromatic: A single color in varying shades, tints, and tones.
Formulaic color combinations always look good together because of how the colors relate to each other on the color wheel. But every combination also creates a unique effect. It’s important to not only learn the color palette formulas but also the effects they create so you can apply them intentionally in your interior design and decorating projects. Complementary colors, for example, will make each other appear bolder and brighter.
The Magic of Tints, Tones & Shades
The 12-color color wheel is a great tool for creating different types of color schemes in interior design. But there are definitely more than twelve colors, so what about the rest of them? Enter: tints, tones, and shades.
Every color beyond the 12 showcased in the color wheel is a tint, tone, or shade of those 12 colors.
Adding White to a Color Creates a Tint
Tints are created by adding white to one of the twelve colors on the color wheel. This lightens the color, making it softer and less intense. When you tint red, for example, it becomes pink. By adding varying levels of white, you can create hundreds of tints from a single base color.
Adding Black to a Color Creates a Shade
Shades are created by adding black to one of the twelve colors on the color wheel. Darkening a color with black makes it deeper and can give it an earthy feel. By adding varying levels of black, you can create hundreds of shades from a single base color.
Adding Gray to a Color Creates a Tone
Tones are created by adding gray to one of the twelve colors on the color wheel. Shading a color desaturates it and makes it more subtle. By adding varying levels of gray, you can create hundreds of tones from a single base color.
How Color Makes You Feel: The Psychology of Color in Interior Design
If you’re reading this guide, you know that your surroundings have an effect on your emotional state. But did you know that a lot of their influence is due to the psychological effects of color?
Color can alter and enhance your mood by making you feel happy, calm, and peaceful or angry frustrated and on edge. Certain colors have even been shown to make people feel physically sick when they’re exposed for too long.
Examples of the Psychological Effects of Color in Interior Design
Colors all have positive and negative emotional effects, which can be used to create a specific feeling or mood within a space.
Let’s look at some of the most popular colors to dissect the psychological effects of color in interior design.
Red
Red is one of the most powerful colors in the color wheel.
- Creates energy
- Stimulates conversation
- Associated with anger and danger
- Has been shown to increase heart rate and appetite
Red can create powerful emotions, so you want to be cautious when incorporating it into your designs. It’s a great accent color and can make a cool room feel warmer, but be careful when using it as a primary color within your scheme.
Yellow
Yellow, in my opinion, is one of the most divisive colors. People have strong feelings about yellow—they either love it or hate it. The psychological effects of the color yellow might explain why.
- Cheerful and uplifting
- Associated with intellect
- Yellow can be irritating
- People are more likely to lose their temper in an all-yellow room
When using yellow in your interior decorating projects, pay extra attention to tint, tone, and shade. Dingy yellows can represent decay and make you feel sick.
Green
Green is the most restful color for the human eye, and I’m not just saying that because it’s my favorite. It’s the color of nature and we are hardwired to feel at ease in its presence.
- Creates a sense of calmness and security
- Symbolizes growth
- Reminds us of nature
- Great for a monochromatic color scheme
There is a lot of symbolism related to the color green, so you have to be careful about the tint, tone, or shade you use in your design. Olive green, for example, symbolizes peace but yellow-green is associated with sickness.
Blue
Blue is the only color that has almost no negative associations or emotional effects. It is one of the best colors to incorporate into your interior decorating projects and makes a great primary color.
- People are more productive in blue rooms
- Associated with confidence and intelligence
- Has been shown to slow heart rate
- Has a calming effect and is great for bedrooms
One of the only negative effects of blue is that it can make you feel cold, especially in large amounts. Pairing blue with warm colors will help balance the coldness and make the room feel warmer.
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