The best way to gauge how colors look together is by using a color wheel. A color wheel is just a basic tool for combining colors. The first color wheel was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666 and has been used ever since to help people in selecting compatible colors.
The color wheel is made up of 12 colors. Red, blue, and yellow are known as the primary colors because they are the three main colors from which every other color is derived. When you mix two primary colors together, you get what is known as a secondary color. These colors include purple, green, and orange. And lastly, when you mix a primary color with a secondary color you get a tertiary color. The tertiary colors make up the last 6 colors of the color wheel.
Colors are also categorized into warm and cool colors. Colors on the one half of the wheel are warm colors. These colors include the reds, oranges, and yellows. These colors are very vivid and energetic. The colors on the other half of the wheel are considered the cool colors. These colors include the blues, purples, and greens. These colors tend to be very calm and soothing. If you have a busy space with lots of energy, such as a kitchen or a family room, you may want to include the warm colors. If you were thinking about changing up your bedroom or a study, you would be best to stick with the cool colors.
You may ask yourself why there is only 12 colors on the wheel. There are thousands of colors out in the world and trying to put them in one wheel would be cramped and confusing. Adding black, white, or gray to the color makes all the other colors of the world. If you add white to any color it is considered a tint of that color. Adding black to the color makes a shade of the color. And if you would add gray to a color it is considered a tone.
There are a few different ways to combine colors using the wheel. The first is called Complementary colors.
Complementary colors are just a more complex way of saying opposite colors. So any colors that are opposite of each other on the color wheel are considered complementary colors. In the example the complementary colors are red and green. Complementary colors are very vibrant and need to be managed carefully so they don’t appear overwhelming.
Another way to combine colors is to use the Analogous method.
Analogous colors are colors that appear right next to each other on the color wheel. These colors match well and provide a serene, comfortable feeling. They are usually done in groups of three. You can pick one color to be your dominant color then select your second color to support the first. The third color is used as an accent color. So if your walls are a light blue color you can support it with a green chair and lighter green pillows and accents.
The third way of combining colors is called Triadic.
The Triadic colors are just like you would think they placed. They are evenly spaced around the wheel making a triangle between them. These colors tend to be very vibrant so your best bet would be to choose one dominant color and use the other two colors as accents. For example, if you wanted purple to be your dominant color, you could purchase a chair that has purple in the fabric and accent it with green and orange pictures, pillows, etc.
The Split-Complementary method is another way to select colors.
Split-Complementary are simply the colors that are next to the opposing complement color. This in turn makes a skinny triangle as shown in the example. This is a good choice if you are new to decorating because it is difficult to mess up. If you love the color green and you have a lot of green in your room you could use red-orange and red-purple to accent it.
Two other ways of combining colors is the Rectangle and Square color schemes. But these methods have four colors and the more colors your introduce into the space the more confusing it can get. When it comes to decorating the simpler the better.
Picking colors can be easy if you have the right tools. By using the color wheel, your own personal opinions, and the opinions of your salesperson you will be able to make an informed decision that will result in a beautiful space.
-Jamie, Lansing Furniture
