The color schemes we choose for our favorite areas play an enormous role in our dwellings’ overall cohesion and sophistication. So, taking a moment to learn about some of the simplest and most effective ways to use color in your home can bring your wildest design fantasies to life.
Build a Color Scheme Based on Patterned Items
Before you can start decorating with color, you’ve got to pick an ideal color scheme. Don’t bother with the stress of piled-up paint samples and confusing interior design catalogs. Instead, start by looking at patterned items and pulling your favorite colors from them to design the rest of the space.
Perhaps you purchased an area rug with a floral pattern that includes pastel pinks, shades of green, and some cream. You decide that you love the stark contrast of the green against cream, so you buy solid green throw pillows and a cream-colored couch. Not only does this make choosing your color palette far more straightforward, but it also guarantees that you will have a cohesive and dynamic room design.
Decorate From Dark To Light
One of the principal tips for how to use color to decorate your home is designing a room based on the “dark to light” rule. You coordinate your colors vertically, starting with the darkest shades of your palette decorating the floor. This includes items such as flooring options, rugs, and ottomans.
Then, you’d move up to the middle of the space or the parts of the room at eye level. In this section, you would use your medium colors. So, the walls, the bed set, hanging artwork, and bedside tables are ideal places to include the lighter, more vibrant shades you hope to incorporate in your design. You can also use this opportunity to incorporate some texture into your space with things like interior plantation window shutters, for example.
Finally, the section directly above you, the ceiling, is reserved for the lightest colors in your palette. This method works because it imitates our perception of the outside world, with the earth beneath us the darkest, eye-level being the home of vibrant color, and the sky above boasting the lightest hues.
Take Advantage of Black Accents
No matter your color scheme, adding a few black accents is a surefire way to make every other color pop. Black additions can add drama to the most mundane colors. Perhaps your living room is a sea of beige, tan, and off-white. While you love the way these light colors open the space, the area feels flat.
Well, this is where adding black accents can make a world of difference. You can get the same effect with a black entertainment center or a lampshade. Whichever way you go, black accents can add a level of drama and sophistication to any room.
Designing your home with color in mind ensures that each room will reflect your brilliant style. Hopefully, this overview of some of the best tips for how to use color to decorate your home inspires you to forge onward with your design ideas to make your residence unique!