Colour is a key factor in decoration. Its capacity to define the ambience of a space means knowing how to apply and combine colours is absolutely essential. With this in mind, here are a few top tips.
When it comes to total-look monochromatic colour schemes, it’s best to play with different shades of the same colour family for harmonious results. This is a colour concept that is trending in both the world of design and fashion. Basically, you need to start with a combination of three shades.
If you take the colour wheel, you can create a harmonious combination by using three adjacent colours, regardless of whether they are cool, warm or a bit of both. The fundamental idea when combining shades is that one of them has to be the dominant colour whilst the other two are secondary. When choosing shades close together on the colour wheel, the resulting palette provides a soothing sense of calm and peace, making for a cosy, comfortable atmosphere.
Another way to combine colours is to opt for contrasting, or complementary colours from opposite sides if the colour wheel. This gives dynamic and visually contrasting results without clashing, for example, yellow (dominant) with blue and violet.
The 60-30-10 rule is infallible if you are looking for a balanced colour scheme. The dominant colour (usually walls) makes up 60% of the space. The secondary colour provides interest and should account for 30% of the overall look and is normally achieved through the choice of furniture. The final 10% is reserved for the accent colour visible in accessories.
