How to Choose a Color Scheme

Color is so many things to everyone.  Nothing is done without color.  Think about it, everything….clothes, cars, our house, our yards…everything.  The paint industry has picked up on this, and are making a TON of money around it.  Color is a constant consideration in all our purchases.  Have you ever really stopped to think about what the different colors  mean, and how designers choose the colors they do?  I’m gonna try to decipher some of this for you.  I’m not gonna claim to be a designer, or know everything there is to know about this topic…I do have some opinions…and a teensy bit of insights.  I hope this will help you to know and understand how to pick choose a color scheme.

Let’s start with the meaning of color:

White:  White is clam.  White is for rational, people..analytical and objective.  White can be considered a palette cleanser.  Giving the eye a rest.

 

Red:  Red is fiery, energetic and bold.  Red fills a room with liveliness and affection. It sparks the appetite, speeds up the heart rate.  Red is for self-confident, and risk takers. 

 

Orange:  Orange is intense, and appeals the to serious side.  It’s filled with joy and optimism.  Generally those who like orange are methodical decisions makers, and know the cost of what they want.

 

Brown:  Brown appeals the earth sensual side.  Brown makes one feel comfortable and secure.  Yellow speeds the metabolism and enhances concentration.  It also encourages authenticity and living in the moment.

 

Yellow:  Yellow is hopeful, sunny and bright.  It is the most visual color in the universe.  People who like yellow are spontaneous and cheery…people find it inspiring.

 

Green:  Green is natural, healing and refreshing.  If you’re drawn to this color, you like to solve problems with a fresh perspective.

 

Pink:  Pink is playful, innocent, flirty and fun.  Pink is a romantic’s color.  If you’re dynamic, you go for the hotter tones.

 

Black:  Black is cautionary.  You’re more likely to proceed with caution with faced with sudden changes and exercise restraint when making decisions, if you love black.

 

Purple:  Purple is the color of a person with keen intuition. Others find you mysterious.

 

Blue:  Blue lovers are steady, stable and compassionate with an unflinching devotion to those your love.

 

Now that we know some of the psychology behind some of the colors….let’s look at the different ways they go together.

 

Monochromatic:  A monochromatic color scheme is a scheme using all the same hue, one shade off from one another.  Here is an example of a green color scheme.

Complementary:  A Complementary color scheme is one involving colors opposite from one another on the color wheel.   These two colors are complementary to one another.

Split Complementary:  One hue, plus two others equally spaced from it’s complement.

Double Complementary:  Two complementary color sets; the distance between selected complimentary  pairs will affect the overall contrast of the final composition.

 

Analogous:  Those colors located adjacent on the color wheel.

 

Triad: Three hues equally spaced on a color wheel.

Using the color schemes above…lets looks at some palettes.

Here is a painting by Gustav Wentzel that is a wonderful example of monochromatic in green.

 

Here is an example of a pink and green complimentary color scheme.

 

Let’s look at the violet, pink and yellow split complimentary color scheme.

How gorgeous is this?  It’s one of the most stunning color schemes in my mind.  I absolutely love the split complementary.

A double complimentary is a bit more complex, a little more rich in appeal….Not as appealing to me…but I do find it beautiful.

This couch is an absolutely stunning example of the double complimentary color scheme.  I don’t think I could ever use this in my home…but I do find it gorgeous!

The picture below is an example of an analogous color scheme.

How stunning is that? Could you just die?

Using the Triad scheme above, this picture is an amazing story of those colors used together…I can see me using this scheme together in a bedroom or possibly a bathroom.

Perhaps the next time you start to choose a color scheme for a room or outfit…how about getting a color wheel out?