Colour theory is based on the classic colour wheel and the three primary colours, red, yellow and blue, which make up every other colour. Using the colour wheel, you can easily work out what colour will compliment another, and the same with the hues.
Finding Complementary Colours
Picking colours opposite one another on the wheel is how you can find complementary colours. It is easy to find these colours clashing if using the incorrect tones, or often due to the shade and the quantities of the colours chosen - it can become overpowering. At Rowen Homes, we recommend using these colours to accent your room, so that it is being used in smaller quantities.
Monochromatic Colours
Monochromatic is often mistaken for being black, white and potentially some grey. The truth is, you can get really creative with a monochromatic colour scheme by using a variety of shades from a single colour.
Cool and Warm Colours
Using either a cool or warm colour scheme can affect the mood in the room. Warm hues make living spaces cosier. Playing with a mix of warm colours can inject energy such as motivation, joy and vitality. Whereas cooler colours invoke peace, luxury and success. When working with colour, at Rowen Homes we either work with cool or warm tones, and tend not to mix.
Neutral Colours
Neutrals include beige, ivory, browns and blacks. You can choose to use neutral colours as the background of your room, or even layer hues of your chosen neutral. When choosing the neutral for your background, make sure you take into account the light in your room. If your room gets little daylight using a darker tone will make your space feel smaller.
Choosing a Triad
Selecting three colours for your space should be done by using the points of a triangle on the colour wheel. In using these colours, you should be balancing the colours to ensure they are not overrunning your room. To practise using a triad of colours, you should pick three colours that are equally spaced out on the colour wheel, as well as them being within the same tonal range.
Analogous Colours
Choosing an analogous colour scheme means you are using colours next to one another in the colour wheel. Usually in this, the primary colour in this sequence should be your dominant colour, with the secondary colours supporting this. For this reason, in this sequence you usually have 1 primary colour accompanied by 2 secondary colours.
When picking the colours to work with in your room, it’s important to remember what kind of light is in the room you are styling. If your room is darker, a paint that you saw in daylight may look completely different, that is why it is always best to get samples and try them out in your room, you can choose to use daylight bulbs to bring brightness to these rooms, if you decide to go with a cooler, darker shade. If you’re unsure on the bolder colours and matching it with your lighting, opt for a neutral colours for a practical and safer option.
Shop our paint samples here.
