Use Color to Design Your Home Like the Pros

We love working with designers, but it’s not always in the cards for homeowners. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get the design of your dreams!

Considerations in Design

There are a variety of elements that make up the practice of interior design. Afloral’s COO, Derek Milliman, breaks design into seven basic components. Here’s a simplified look:

2. Size

1.Balance and space
  • Understand the proportions and layout of the room you are working with. 
  • Balance furniture and decor (positive space) as well as openness (negative space) in your design.
  • There are three methods to creating balance:
    • Symmetrical Balance—the room is evenly laid out. Milliman gives the example of a bedroom with a bed in the center and matching nightstands and lamps on either side.
    • Asymmetrical Balance—a more fluid design strategy. Instead of lamps that match exactly, they may only share the same shape or color.
    • Radial Balance—the design is centered on a focal point like a fireplace or an art piece. Turn furniture towards this point. 
2. Unity
  • Cohesion is king, be it in matching materials, a color scheme, or shapes (i.e. if there are arched doors or windows, use that curved shape elsewhere in the room.)
Unity | Image Source: Afloral
3. Rhythm
  • Repeat an element of decor throughout your home. This may be the same metal on doorknobs, cabinet fixtures, and faucets. 
4. Proportions
  • Consider the three lines in a space: horizontal, vertical, and dynamic. Your design has to work around these features.
    • Horizontal—tables, chairs, desks
    • Vertical—doors, windows, bookshelves
    • Dynamic—elements that invoke an action, like staircases or ladders in a library setting
  • High ceilings make a space feel large and airy, and would not be overwhelmed by sturdy furniture like a small room would. 
5. Contrast
  • Find contrast in shape, color, material, or texture. Intentionally break the unity of a room with curved features by bringing in a square table.
6. Emphasis
  • Know the focal point of your room and carry elements of it throughout to add focus and unity.
7. Details
  • Add small details in the little things like floral arrangements, knobs, and art.

 

So, how do we utilize color theory to adhere to these guidelines? To answer this question, we must first understand what color theory is.

What is Color Theory?

The Interaction Design Foundation defines color theory as, “the study of how colors work together and how they affect our emotions and perceptions.”

Will you use several shades of the same color? Is your design better served choosing from opposite sides of the color wheel? There are several methods to choose from when selecting a color pallet.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Colors generate specific emotions in people. Cool tones like blues and greens are calming. Warm colors like yellow and orange boost energy. Browns and tans are cozy and reassuring.

For a breakdown of specific colors, check out Color Psychology.

If you painted your bedroom walls a soft sage green, you could go split-complementary and accessorize with oranges and blues. You could go the analogous route and use yellows and orange, or tetradic with green as the focal color. 

Screenshot
Source: Interaction Design Foundation

Application In Design

How do we merge what we know about color and design?

Balance & Space:
  • Symmetrical Balance- An even balance of color throughout the room.
  • Asymmetrical Balance—pops of color scattered around the room
  • Radial Balance—One object (couch/comforter) that is a specific color, and the rest are analogous or in some way complementary 
Unity, Rhythm, & Details: 

Use colors that carry through your design, even in the smallest of details. If your table lamp is orange, maybe find a painting to put over your fireplace that uses oranges. Find orange cookie jars for your kitchen counters and orange hand towels for the bathroom.

Proportions: 

The perception of your room’s proportions can be impacted by color. Dark tones make a space feel smaller, so if you’re working with low ceilings and minimal natural light, you will want to choose a bright color for the walls. 

Contrast:

Color is an easy way to add contrast. At its core, the complementary color scheme is contrast. You can take this to the extreme, or add a pop of color to a neutral pallet. 

Emphasis:

Say the focal point of your room is a dark gray stone fireplace. Take that gray and sprinkle it through your space.

Some of these are not direct translations of Milliman’s listed points, but we can use them as a jumping point for colorful inspiration.

For more, check out our post about the use of blue in interior design.