Utilising colour schemes in decorating projects

When decorating a home, colour schemes are an essential aspect of putting your personality on the design, and making it feel welcoming. Obviously the general colours chosen are a matter of personal choice, but it’s important to consider colours that go well together, and colours that clash.

Picking colours

The selection of the colour scheme should be the bedrock of the whole design, and in decorating, the uses of the colours again depends on personal taste. In terms of colour’s effects on the mood of a room, blue and green are generally more soothing tones, whilst yellow and orange brighten up an area. Safer colours like beige and tan are good for more neutral themes.

A colour wheel is a must have for any aspiring decorator, and colour combos work best when they are near each other on the colour wheel, with opposite colours contrasting. It can also be easy to forget about how many different shades of certain colours there are, for example, purple includes hues close to black, right through a pale shade that is almost white, not forgetting the gulf of colours in between those two.

The walls

After making a choice about the colour schemes, a good idea is to start any work on the walls. They are essentially the backdrop of the room and any further installations such as furniture, and what the direction of the rest of the room should be based around. Depending on personal preference, wallpaper or paint might be used. Buying wallpaper direct from the internet can save a lot of money.

Furniture designs

When picking furniture to go in a decorated room, there are two ways to go: pick a neutral colour scheme that will go with whatever scheme the walls and ceiling will be hosting, or use the colour wheel to pick matching colours. With the neutral choice, you have the extra option of adding different colours and textures via throw pillows and covers, without overpowering the ensemble, and conversely, with a suite or similar that matches the main colour scheme, tone down any extras with neutral colours.

Fabrics

Other extras like window curtains or blankets on a bed can differ. Curtains may be densely textured with its own design, or use lighter materials with solid colours throughout the item. Mixing one texture on the curtains with another on bed linen is a good technique, as it adds more depth to the room as a whole. Again, use a colour wheel if not sure, and match accordingly.

Details

Things like paintings, statuettes or ornaments are a matter of taste, and what resources you have available. A splash of colour in a detail within a neutral room can draw the eye to certain areas, and again, vice versa for me held back detail pieces and brighter general colour schemes.
On the whole, decorating effectively merely means what makes and individual feel comfortable, and personal taste should be paramount, especially if you intended to spend a lot of time in said room. If you are unsure about what you want to do with the room, or don’t want to create a ghastly nightmare with clashing colours, then a neutral theme is the safe option.