Color is phenomenal, enticing, and daunting. Too much can be overwhelmingly tacky and too little can mush together into a big ball of blah. Using the right amount in the wrong way could also cause harm to your eyes, as certain colors just REFUSE to work together. Well, no fear! We are here to quickly decipher the code to color coordinating your space. We'll even throw in a few tips here and there for innovative ways to add pop without over committing and causing regret later on.
Color is essential to a designed space but we are often lost on how to create beauty using color rather than ensue chaos and birth tackiness. (Kitsch is only cute in your grandmother's home or an overdone hipster restaurant.) Colors are so often misunderstood as the main character when often times it only wants to play a side role. The main goal in creating a beautiful, approachable space is finding balance. Harmonious use of color is key in elevating your space but it also gives room to mix and match, create highlight moments, or build a full monochromatic vibe. Read on! And don't be afraid. The world (of color) is your oyster.
1. Pick Your Palette
First things first, you gotta have a blueprint to build a house. To add color to your space, you have to know what palette you are willing to commit to for the next x-amount of months/years. This means we have to go back to school and revisit our color theory knowledge. The reason why color theory works is because there's already been research done for us to understand what colors truly compliment each other and why. The color wheel dictates almost a mathematical rhythm as to how colors find their complimentary partners. So rather than working so much harder, we can work a bit smarter and follow what's been studied for us. If you are unsure of which color complements to follow or even how to implement certain compliment theories, an easy place to start is online pre-generated color palettes. These palettes can help you filter through what you don't like and understand the flow of what color compliments you DO like.
*A few examples of color palettes you can find online*
2. Select your base.
Now that you've selected a palette you're willing to commit to for awhile, lets give it some purpose. Select what you would like as your base undertone color (typically this is the lightest tone in the palette or a lighter hue of the lightest tone in the palette), the main accent color (typically the boldest color in the palette but this is ultimately your choice), and the secondary color (whatever left used to compliment your main accent color within the palette). The undertone identifies the overall field color throughout your home. Many people choose to keep white or nude as their undertone base color, which is completely fine! There are tips further down to help dress up even a while wall. The main accent color is usually the color seen most often besides your base undertone color. as seen above, the chosen accent color within the kitchen space is yellow with baby blue as it's secondary compliment. The compliment color helps establish a barrier between the large space of base color and broad space of accent color, breathing room if you will. Main accent colors also do not need to be used in such abundance as seen above. They can be beautiful accent furniture pieces or even decors within the space! But just know that the percentage use of the accent color will always be more than that of the secondary compliment color.
3. Have fun!
Making a few bold choices might be a bad idea if you are wanting to break up long spans of single-colored surfaces, as seen above. Although bold, these brightly colored walls is desperately trying to bring life into a space that would otherwise be white walls, white cabinets, white flooring, and neutral surfaces. However, don't have too much fun. Be tactful with your choices. If a full wall is colored, maybe keep the rest to a minimal or neutral to help balance the space out.
Innovative ways to incorporate color w/out sacrificing taste:
- Build your palette with colorful furniture
Invest in beautiful, colorful furniture pieces within your color palette that doubles as a statement piece for your home. You never have to think about painting a single wall, and after a few seasons, they are always replaceable with a different piece of colored furniture if you ever think of making changes.
- Add interesting color moments.
Coloring trim-work with fun colors can be a very chic way of sprinkling some color within your space. If you're too afraid to commit to a full wall, try a small strip instead!
Painting edges with bold colors can also be a fun surprise that adds color in a unique way. Depending on the location of the viewer, the color palette of your space could change and become dynamic.
- Utilize a fun gradient, or commit to it all!
Using gradients or hues of the same color could be a good baby step into incorporating color within your space. If you're not sure straying outside of your favorite baby pink is a good idea, try taking a few steps left or right of that hue and build a color palette that way.
If a gradient is too "mid 2000's" for you, then commit all the way and create a beautiful monochromatic moment. This doesn't have to be your whole house, but a small breakfast nook, a corner of your kitchen, or even just your guest bathroom could be a surprising treat for anyone who accidentally stumbles upon it while visiting your home.
- Highlight entries and use doors as decoration pieces
- Shelving does not have to stay neutral
If your walls are neutral and most of the surroundings are also neutral, maybe a nice color pop on your wall would help liven it up! Shelving comes in all colors, not just black metal, white or silver. Utilize these accented pieces that double for function and you have win-win situation in your hands.
