Use Color with Confidence

Design Confidently, Live Comfortably

What is color and how do we see it? All light is made up of color, but the human eye and brain must work together to translate light into the colors we're familiar with. In interior design, as in art, harmony comes from a pleasing arrangement of colors.

Connect rooms with color Even two walls painted different colors in one room can work -- as long as the trim is the same and the colors aren't too far afield.

Because of the associations we have with colors that appear in nature, some are considered cool (green grass, blue water). Others are warm (red fire, yellow sun). Remember that all colors contain other colors; red, for example, may have a blue base or an orange base.

In selecting colors for your home, you should begin with the colors you like, then think of how they play into a color scheme, which is generally composed of three hues, one of them a contrasting accent color that adds visual excitement to a room.

Waking up made easy A cool green vase makes the warm reds and purples pop in the bedroom at left. You don't always need multiple colors to enliven a room, though. The cozy yellow bedroom at right radiates energy and warmth.
YELLOW BEDROOM PHOTO: ANDRÉ BARANOWSKI

As you develop your scheme, consider a color's value -- its relative lightness or darkness. A shade is a color with black added; a tint is a color with white added.

A slight variation in color could be why the green chintz you thought would be a perfect match to your dining room walls feels all wrong: Maybe it's the wrong shade or perhaps it has too much of another color, like yellow, in it. By holding your swatch and paint chip up to a color wheel (see How a color wheel works) you can determine how close they really are.

NEXT: Paint Is a Great Place to Start

BACK: Introduction

	IN THIS ARTICLE:

		Introduction

		Know Your Colors, Know Yourself

		Paint Is a Great Place to Start

		Beyond Paint -- Floors, Furnishings, and More

		How a Color Wheel Works

		See It First, Paint It Later

		Create a Mood with Color

		Resources