Choosing a Color Scheme
Picking a color scheme for a room might feel a little bit daunting, but I’m here to help you identify the right ones that will make happy every time you step foot into that space!
There are two main approaches I like to use when I’m putting together a color palette:
Think about what colors you naturally gravitate to. There are probably a few colors that you tend to go back to over and over again. Write those down and see how they match up with the look and feel you’re going for. If you need a hint, take a look at your closet. Often the clothes we wear tend to match up pretty well with the ones we’d like to use in our homes! You can build your color scheme off of those.
Find a room, rug, piece of art, or pretty textile you love and copy that color palette. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel! Someone already did the hard work for you of finding colors that work together. When you go this route, you’ll often know in your gut right away if it speaks to you.
I tend to keep a color palette to 3-4 main colors. To create a sense of depth in your color palette, vary the tones of your main colors just a bit. Emily Henderson, another designer I love, calls these “highlights and lowlights” - subtle differences in hue that make a space pop, yet feel grounded at the same time.
Be sure to mix warm and cool tones for a sense of balance. Remember, wood tones and metal finishes count as colors too! For example, a rich wood console can pair beautifully with a navy sofa and will help your room feel warm and inviting.
This takes a bit of practice to pull off, but it’ll make a big difference. Take some time to study images of spaces you like and note the nuances in color. You’ll start to see how those little details make a room feel polished and well-designed, but not matchy-matchy.
And one more thing - just because I’m talking about color doesn’t mean your room has to have a bold, brightly colored palette. Consider the intensity or saturation level you’re drawn to and play within those tones. You can also stick with a neutral color palette as well and still achieve that sense of style and depth that I’ve been talking about! Just be sure to vary the tones so it feels warm and not sterile!
