Home Decorating Style:  Decorating with Color

Decorating Challenge #1:  How to decorate with style?

Discover Your Decorating Style

Take Your Style Test Here

Decorating Challenge #2:  How to decorate with color?

Decorating Challenge #3:  How to decorate with texture?

Decorating Challenge #4:  How to decorate with accessories?

Decorating Challenge # 2 - Interior Design Technique Decorating with Color

Decorating with color is the interior design technique that will boldly or quietly bring your room to life. The most important challenge of decorating with color is how differently each person responds to color.  The color scheme is always subjective and sometimes very emotional.

Color is the wonder drug of decorating.  All of the ways color can revive and enliven is your decorating challenge because it is limited only by what you can imagine.

One color draws a huge range of reactions. Ask five people in a chili pepper red room what they think of the color and you will get five different responses.  As a matter of fact the subjective quality of color is what makes it the biggest decorating challenge and a whole lot of fun.

The colors you choose. Choose your color scheme. The depth of color. Monochromatic, several different colors or a single accent color will be the foundation of how one feels in your rooms.

Would everyone love the colors in this room?  What makes it work for you?  What doesn't?

There are three things you must know about color to create the rooms you love. How color effects the size of a room and of the objects in it.  How color can make you feel.  How to harmonize colors.  See what color palette is best for you.

Decorating with color Challenge # 1

Color's impact on size.

You want a room to seem larger or smaller.  How would you like to raise the ceiling? 

Walls: Interior design technique, a light color palette makes a room look larger.  Dark colors close in and make the room seem smaller.

Ceilings:  Interior design technique, dark ceilings seem closer, light ones further away.

Room architectural details such as trim molding around doors and windows, built ins, chair rails:  The old decorator saying "When in doubt, paint them out."  Paint the details the same color as the walls.  This decorating technique will blend the details into the room and disappear into the background.

If you want details to stand out paint the details a contrasting color to the room walls as an accent.  Your decorating color scheme will help you choose.

Floors and window coverings:  Decorating technique; neutrals downplay them.  Color calls attention to flooring and window coverings.  Like room details, if you want floors and window coverings to disappear as background and not as accents, make them the same color as your walls.

Interior Design Technique and Decorating Tip:  The same color solution works for objects. Light colors make them seem larger, dark colors make objects feel heavy.  Bright colors make them stand out.  Softened colors make them blend in with the background.

Decorating with color Challenge # 2

How does color make you feel?

You may love a lavender and blue color scheme and want your family room just that color scheme.  Your neighbor may absolutely hate it. Colors have different meanings.  One color can go emotionally more than one way. Following are the meaning of some colors and examples of emotional reaction to colors and how you may feel when you decorate with different colors:

Blue: Feels distancing, reserved.

Red:  Feels stimulating, agitating.

Yellow:  Feels energizing.  Sometimes to the point of anxiety.

Orange:  Feels stimulating and inviting.

Green:  Feels soothing and relaxing.

White:  Feels calming and uncluttered, clean.

Your responses to these colors may be completely different.  This is only one scientists color theory on the meaning of color.  

What colors do you like?  How will you decorate with color?  The answers are in the pictures you chose in the Decorating with Style, Your Style Workshop. (Decorating Challenge #1)

Or maybe colors you keep going to in the linen department or the colors that pull you to them in the clothing store.  Look in your closet for a hint for the color scheme you will use for decorating.

Test your own emotions.  Each time you walk into a space, let yourself feel it.  Is the color what is doing it?  What color is it?  And what is happening to you?

Decorating with color Challenge # 2

How to harmonize colors.

If only you could go to the paint store and pick up two colors of paint and your rooms would be perfect!  Your decorating challenge will be solved when you understand what happens when you put colors together.  There are only four types of color combinations or types of color schemes you need to decorate with style, your style.

Color Scheme # 1:  Complementary colors or complementary harmony:  This is two colors that are in total contrast.  Red and green.  Purple and yellow.  Blue and orange. The effect is always stimulating and dramatic.  Many schools use this color scheme for their school colors.

(These are colors found opposite on the color wheel.... no scientific stuff here, only decorating with color theory!)

Color Scheme # 2:  Triadic colors or triadic harmony:  Three different colors with the same depth of intensity make up this color scheme.  The effect is a balanced look.

Color Scheme # 3:  Analogous colors or harmony.  Two or three different colors from the same color family.  Terra cotta, shrimp and copper penny.  (Orange, red orange and pale orange).

Yellow and browned yellow. (Butter and mustard).

This color scheme gives a softened look with contrast.

Color Scheme # 4:  Monochromatic color or monochromatic harmony color scheme.  One single color or differing intensities of the same color such as blue and light blue; dark taupe, taupe and light taupe.  The effect is very quieting. Many find this the easiest color scheme to use and to live with.

What is the color harmony or palette of this room? Do the walls recede or come toward you?  Do you notice the architectural details?

If you want a room that has energy and is bold, a complementary color scheme is a good choice.

The room is to be a retreat, a place to relax and read.  A monochromatic color scheme choice will help you accomplish this. 

How are you going to put this to use?  (Decorating with color is the most frightening part of decorating for most)  Try this mental exercise:  

Decorating Challenge:  You have a room you want to make into an adult retreat to get away from the kids.  You want it to be a place you can nest in with comfy chairs and sofa, warmth and relaxation.  You prefer deep, saturated colors and soft nappy fabric.  The room, however, feels really small.

The solution:  Paint the trim, doors and ceiling the same color as the walls.  Maybe a middle-tone green or teal.  Painting everything one color will make the space larger. The color scheme choice, green or teal, may be a restful soothing colors.

Make your window coverings the same color as the walls.  Your furnishings could be in the same color family using deep tones you love (a color scheme of monochromatic harmony) and texture to draw attention to them.  Your accessories should blend softly.  

Your Own Decorating Challenges:  Mentally do for each room what you just did for the one above.  Write down the colors, use color swatches.  Visualize.  Refer to your decorating style photos or notebook.. Then choose your color scheme for decorating your rooms. 

Of course, decorating with color is only one part of decorating a room, it can't stand alone, but is a huge part of your overall look and decorating style.

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