by Adina Gewirtz
Color is the first thing most people notice when they enter a room and it's the design element most likely to set the mood. That's why knowing how to use the color wheel for decorating can be the difference between blah and wow when it comes to interior design.
Colors on the Wheel
The color wheel shows the relationships between colors. The wheel is made up of primary, secondary and tertiary colors.
Primary colors are red, blue and yellow. They are pure, meaning that they can't be created by any combining any other colors. They stand equidistant on the color wheel.
Secondary colors are combinations of two primary colors — green (yellow and blue), orange (yellow and red), purple or violet (red and blue). On the color wheel, they stand between each of the primary colors that make them.
Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with each of the secondary colors next to it on the color wheel. The tertiary colors are blue-green (turquoise), yellow-green (lime), red-violet (crimson), red-orange, yellow-orange and blue-violet.
Go Bold and Bright with Primary Colors
If you're looking for a room that's stimulating to the eye, bold and vibrant, consider using primary colors. Since primary colors stand out and offer a rich contrast when paired, using them together makes a room feel dynamic. Don't overdo it, though. Too many contrasting high-intensity primary colors might make you feel as though the room is shouting at you, or that you've stumbled into a preschool. Balance these bright colors with whites, creams or earth tones.
Monochromatic color schemes often make good use of primary colors. Choose your primary color, such as blue, then decorate using various shades of it, playing with tint (lighter forms of that hue) and shade (darker forms of it). This creates a coordinated, elegant effect, and depending on the color and the tints or shades you choose, can make the room feel soothing — as in a combination of medium to light blues — or bold — think a series of deepening reds.
Also use primary colors as accents in a neutral room, or to draw the eye to a focal point. Imagine a white wall, with a bright blue sofa against it — your eye jumps to the color. If you want to highlight a specific piece of furniture or accessory in a room, consider primary colors. Small touches of a primary color — a red vase, a series of yellow frames — brighten an otherwise bland design.
Pop! with Secondary Colors
Secondary colors — oranges, greens and purples — can be almost as vibrant as primary colors, especially when used in full saturation. These colors work well either alone — highlighted against a white, wood or earth-tone background — or in complementary color schemes, when paired with a prinary color opposite it on the color wheel.
When pairing colors, decorators generally advise making one dominant and using the other as an accent — think of a sunny yellow tablecloth with a vase of purple flowers on top to envision how effective pairing secondary colors can be.
Coordinate the Rainbow with Tertiary Colors
Tertiary colors — which merge a primary and a secondary color — work well in analogous color schemes, which use colors next to each other on the wheel. Adding tertiary colors pulls together a room that uses secondary and primary colors and can give a room a sophisticated, coordinated look.
Let one color dominate, so the effect is not too bland. Pair a turquoise-painted wall with blue and green accents in a room, adding beige for balance, and you'll create pleasing seaside décor.
Adina Gewirtz is a freelance writer in the Washington, DC area.
