Many of our readers tell us that they love color but are a little uncertain about how to use it. This whole section is our answer. We'll show you how to use color with confidence in every room of your home. You'll learn about different combinations and all the elements that make a successful statement. Whether it's neutral, bold, natural, or pastel hues, we cover it all. So grab a paintbrush, and take a spin with us on the color wheel.
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One Room, Three Ways
Ever wish you could paint your walls three different colors before you make a decision? Well, we did just that in this living room. The three hues we chose were pulled out of a beloved painting.
In each scheme, the central painting and basic furniture (sofa, table, and chairs) remain. These pieces stay in the same places, but are transformed with slipcovers, pillows, and decorative details. The accessories vary depending on the wall color, but you'll always notice a touch of citrus green in each transformation--it works with all three palettes. Plus, you'll learn some tricks of the trade when working with color from Assistant Projects Editor Mary Leigh Fitts, who created these eye-catching looks.
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Bold Colors
Rich and vibrant hues, radiant and dramatic fabrics--there's no question that bold is beautiful. So why not incorporate this spectrum into your personal surroundings? Because we spend our first and last waking hours at home, we could use stimulation with a daily dose of upbeat color.
From walls to windows, from pillows to pictures, once you experience them in a room, bold colors can become contagious. The effect of such hues brightens even the smallest space.
We found examples to tell the story in a variety of methods, materials, and schemes. You will see from these pages that the use of color is as much about furniture, upholstery, artwork, and accessories as it is about paint. Keep in mind that color intensity, pattern, and lighting all influence a room's final look and feel. Likewise, both solids and patterns can be successfully mixed if used in ways that complement a space, not overwhelm it. So be bold--we dare you!
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Neutral Colors
Color doesn't need to jump out at you to have a strong effect. Neutrals, when used properly, will make a noticeable statement in your home. As you'll see in the following pages, you can create neutral color schemes that are visually stimulating and never boring. The key is variety--combining textures, layering hues, emphasizing lighting, and mixing finishes. These tones work for any room and can be jazzed up with splashes of color from artwork, pillows, pottery, and rugs. Most fans of neutrals never tire of their decor, but if they crave a change, it's easy to grab a can of paint.
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Pastel Colors
Cool and pastel colors work to provide a calming feel. They also make a room seem larger, creating an open and airy atmosphere. These hues work well in rooms that get a lot of natural sunlight and are used throughout the day, such as kitchens and baths, because you don't need to add warm colors to invigorate the room's ambience. Likewise, they are a good choice in bedrooms due to their relaxing effect.
These shades can also brighten a room that contains a lot of dark furniture, such as a dining room, making it feel less formal and serious. Pastel walls can pick up on the colors of a room's accessories or architectural features without competing with them as bold-colored walls would. If you're a fan of neutral walls, think about adding these shades to trims and ceilings for a subtle but interesting effect. For example, try celadon green on wainscot or doors and a soft blue on a bedroom ceiling. Such calming colors always provide a friendly, serene attitude.
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Natural Colors
The myriad of green hues found in grass and leaves; the rich blend of reds, browns, and yellows that identify a region's native soil; smoothly worn, moss-covered rocks in a wilderness stream; a speckled doe and her young matched perfectly tothe surrounding forest--all of these images conjure the tranquil and earthy colors of nature. Apart from venturing into the great outdoors, there's no better way to connect our modern lives to these calming scenes than by filling our homes with a similar palette.
Out of all the various color combinations, these natural shades are easy to mix and match because, in some form or fashion, we encounter them daily. See how these homeowners took cues from their own environs and successfully brought the abundant spectrum of flora and fauna indoors.
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Color Fundamentals
After devoting an entire section to color, we'd be remiss not to discuss the basics. So what exactly are the relationships and effects that one color has on another? By referring to the adjacent color wheel, you'll see that within this wide spectrum, there are three dominant and pure colors, called "primary colors": yellow, blue, and red. Because mixing two of these produces secondary colors (red + yellow = orange, for example), it's no coincidence that the primaries are located at equal intervals on the color wheel. All other hues, known as tertiary colors, result in varying combinations of the primaries and secondaries. Remember these points when using a color wheel for updating your home.
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