CREATING A COLOUR PALET

There are many theories to creating colour harmony in your home. Your choice of colours can create a range of results from extreme unity, a non confronting scheme that will virtually go un-noticed to extremely complexity which requires careful consideration as it may create a scheme that clashes and jars. The following information is a basic guideline to help you create your own colour palet.

Colours opposite each other are refered to as complementary colours. Those side by side on the wheel are referred to as analogous colours. When selecting a colour palet people usually go for three analogous colours. More striking palets can be created by selecting two analogous colours and one complementary colour. Three colours tend to be the best palet size as too many colours can get too busy visually. However that doesn’t mean a palet of 4 wouldn’t work. Indeed some designers choose a palet of four or five colous and use different combinations of three, to create a linking colour theme throughout a home.

Understanding how colours behave.
Colours will behave differently in relation to other colours and shapes and areas of colour theory. Compare the contrast effects of the red square against  different colour backgrounds. Against the black it appears the brightest and duller against the white.

The orange with red appears flat and lifeless whilst the red-purple background makes the red almost glow. Interestingly the red square appears larger on black than on other background colours.  Using these concepts you can create colour combinations to make a room smaller, larger, warmer or brighter.

Colours can also look different depending on other colours you use with them. The small rectangle on the left appears to be greenish while the rectangle on the right looks more yellowish. They are both the same colour as can be seen when you put them side by side. It’s one reason why you should always use sample pots to test you colour choices as the colours might look different to how they appeared in the store. Lighting and furnishings will also influence the colour perception as much as the other paint colours you use in your scheme. So it’s a good idea to view the colour in the room you want to use it in and view it at different times of the day under various lighting conditions.

Some Formulas for Colour Harmony

Analogous colours are any three colours which are side by side on a colour wheel, such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually one of the three colours is chosen as your main colour with the others used for highlights or a feature.

Complementary colours are any two colours which are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as red and green and red-purple and yellow-green. Nature is full of these sort of colour schemes and is a great source for inspiration for colour palets that work. Notice the variations of yellow-green in the leaves and red-purple in the flower. These opposing colours create harmonious contrast without clashing. 

Nature can also provide a great guide for the  bold use of colours when you want something dramatic. The red and grey combination here create a striking yet harmonious colour scheme.