8 Things About Color You Should Know
Decorating is made easier when you know a few things about color. Here are 8 important things to know about color and how to use them when you decorate.
I get asked about color only second to “Where did you get that”! So today, let’s chat about 8 color lessons that will change the way you think about decorating! These color lessons will help you be a better decorator! Today’s post is a MUST-READ!
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Color is a very complex topic when it comes to decorating, but my superpower is the ability to break down these very multifaceted concepts and give you easy-to-understand, doable processes that you can use in your home!
Here are 8 COLOR LESSONS that will make you a better decorator…
Know Your Color Palette
A color palette is a beautiful thing when it comes to decorating! Choosing colors for a room or your home and sticking to them is super important, and this is our first color lesson.
Here are a couple of ways to make decorating more complicated than it needs to be:
- Working with too many colors in your home: It’s easy to get carried away with a rainbow of hues, but this can lead to a visually chaotic space.
- Using only a few colors in your home: While simplicity is key, too few colors can create a bland and uninspired look.
- Constantly switching or changing colors in your home: Indecisiveness can turn into a never-ending cycle of paint swatches and mood boards, leaving you feeling overwhelmed.
- Not knowing what colors you’re working with in your home: Without a clear understanding of your color palette, you risk creating a disjointed design.
The solution? Choose a cohesive and uncomplicated color palette! Keeping things simple will bring harmony and joy to your space.
Opt for 3-5 complementary colors that work well together, and don’t forget to incorporate white and black for balance. You can also play with tints (lighter versions) and tones (darker versions) of your core colors to add depth and dimension to your palette.
Using Colors, You Are Stuck With
Ever find yourself staring at a red or rust brick fireplace that just can’t be painted over? Or maybe you’re walking on floors with that unmistakable golden oak hue that you wish you could swap out? We all have those elements in our homes that we’re stuck with and aren’t exactly thrilled about.
But here’s the reality check: sometimes, we have to make peace with what we’ve got. It’s like having to embrace that one quirky family member at holiday gatherings – they’re not going anywhere, so might as well find a way to coexist harmoniously!
So, here’s a little nugget of wisdom mixed with some friendly advice: let’s work with what we’ve got. Instead of fighting against those unchangeable colors, why not incorporate them into our overall color scheme? It might seem counterintuitive at first, but trust me, it’s a game-changer.
You know the saying, “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”? Well, that’s the motto here. By including that pesky red from your fireplace or the orange tones from your floors in your color palette, you’re actually creating cohesion rather than chaos.
Take inspiration from the image below – notice how the homeowner embraced both the rust and blue hues from the fireplace and integrated them seamlessly into their decor? It’s all about finding clever ways to make those unavoidable colors work for you, not against you.
So, let’s get creative and turn those color challenges into opportunities for a more cohesive and stylish home!
If you find yourself stuck with a purple sofa, don’t fret! With small accents, you can seamlessly incorporate hints of violet or a lovely periwinkle into your decor. Think pillows, throws, or vases in those complementary hues. Keeping these additions small ensures that when the time comes to say goodbye to the purple elephant in the room, you can easily part with these accent pieces without a second thought!
Embrace the color you’re stuck with by using it as an accent. Just a couple of items in a similar shade strategically placed around the room can work wonders in tying everything together seamlessly.
Color Is All About Undertones
Color complexity often stems from the presence of undertones, which add a layer of subtlety to every hue. Undertones are the hidden tones that lurk beneath the surface of a primary color, influencing how it interacts with other colors.
Consider the color white as an example. Did you know there are over 5,000 variations of white classified? This abundance of shades can be attributed to undertones, which contribute to the diverse range of whites available.
Whites come with a variety of undertones, ranging from cool tones like gray, blue, or green to warmer tones like red, pink, or peach. It’s these subtle undertones that give depth and character to an otherwise clean or pure color, ultimately defining the palette you choose for your decor.
Undertones are so worth being familiar with! You can read about WARM AND COOL COLORS HERE.
Have A Working Knowledge Of Clean And Dirty Colors
Learning about the concept of clean and dirty colors felt like a revelation to me! It’s a fundamental aspect that every home decorator should grasp.
Why is understanding clean and dirty colors crucial? Well, because we all desire a stunning home! Having insight into what distinguishes a clean color from a dirty one significantly simplifies the decorating process. Clean colors naturally complement other clean colors, while dirty colors harmonize best with their counterparts. Mixing clean and dirty colors in improper proportions within a room can lead to a visually unbalanced and lackluster appearance.
Here’s a huge post with everything you need to know about CLEAN AND DIRTY COLORS. Knowing about undertones, for example, will make decorating with color more sensible.
Using White
White has the magic ability to make everything in a room look fresh and clean! I also think white keeps a color palette from looking too dull! My best advice is to use lots of pretty white when you decorate!
Don’t Use A Color In Isolation
How we visualize color is influenced by its surroundings, which is why it’s crucial never to select and decorate with a color in isolation! Your color palette should be thoughtfully distributed throughout the room to achieve balance. This ensures that every element harmonizes with the others.
Why Is Balance So Important is a post that discusses this concept.
Colors interact with each other, so it’s essential that the colors in your room harmonize. If something feels off or the colors appear muddy, it’s likely because one or more colors aren’t working together. Removing the culprit or culprits will instantly improve the look of your space!
Many home decorators tend to choose wall colors or significant decor pieces like sofas, leather chairs, flooring, rugs, and drapes in isolation. However, it’s crucial to consider how these items will blend with the existing decor in your room. Make sure to get large swatches or samples of fabrics, paint colors, and other items you’re adding to the space to see how they complement each other.
I’m not afraid to return items if they don’t meet my expectations or clash with the overall color story. It may require extra effort, but living with mismatched or conflicting elements is even more challenging.
Light And Color
Remember, lighting also plays a significant role in how colors appear, so consider the lighting conditions in your space when making color choices.
So many readers ask me, “How will (insert the name of a wall color ) look in my home? ” But I know they are also asking how you think this wall color will look at different times of day and in different lighting.
There is no easy answer to that question. But there is an easy way to tell what a wall color will look like in your home: Paint different paint color choices on big white pieces of poster board and hang them on different walls in a room.
Light affects color. There are huge changes in the way color looks in different light.
Know The 60-30-10
This decorating principle is as classic as they come, and for good reason—it just works and is incredibly straightforward! I also appreciate the 70-20-10 rule, which is closely related to the 60-30-20 guideline.
In the 60-30-20 breakdown, the sixty percent portion signifies that the majority of a room’s color scheme should consist of one dominant color, considering all elements within the space.
A seasoned decorator understands that this sixty percent color should typically be a neutral shade. Now, when I say neutral, I’m not referring strictly to white or beige; rather, I mean a versatile neutral tone. There’s a vast array of beautiful neutral colors to choose from—think along the lines of various shades of gray and its tints and shades.
Colors like white, sand, bone, caramel, cognac, buff, sepia, blond, and many others fall under the umbrella of neutral hues.
I love beige. It is such an interior design workhorse, and it is often maligned! You can read WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE COLOR BEIGE here. When you understand just how complex and extraordinary beige is, you will want to use it in your home, too!
In my personal experience, I tend to lean towards light neutrals, but the key is to choose a neutral shade that resonates with your personal taste!
Now, let’s break down the remaining numbers in this decorating formula. The second number, 30, represents the secondary color. It should complement your primary color choice. If your primary color is on the darker side, consider opting for a lighter secondary color.
Lastly, we have the accent color, which some refer to as the “pop of color.” This should harmonize with both your primary and secondary colors.
Keep in mind that white and black are considered neutral and don’t count towards these percentages. You can incorporate them as you see fit, but make sure their undertones align with your overall color palette.
By mastering these color principles, you’ll better understand color and become a more confident decorator. These concepts are invaluable when it comes to creating a beautifully cohesive home.
Other Decorating Post You Might Like
Color… An Important Element Of Design
How To Choose The Perfect Paint Color
7 Tips For Decorating With Neutrals
Can You Mix Cool And Warm Colors In Your Home
FAQs About Color In Decorating
Shopping Guide
Hello Yvonne – could you tell me where you purchase the beautiful planter on your dining table? Thank you
Hi Betsy, I found it locally. Sorry I don’t have a source for it.
Thank you so much for this informative post. I cannot tell you how many mistakes I’ve made (but my husband can) when selecting paint colors. Now for the first most asked question…where did you get that gorgeous floor lamp beside the chair? Thank you, Yvonne!!!
I’ve had the floor lamp for ages. I found it on Wayfair, but I don’t see it now. Sorry! Look there for something similar.
First- you are better, I hope and pray? Wishing you good health from upstate CNY.
Then thank you, your post today could not have reached me at a better time, or moment, actually.
Just came home from a shopping trip, looking for inspiration…found none. I was empty inside and sad. I am single, older, live alone with my pets. It is below freezing here and dark early in the mornings and at night.
I have so many color loves and have been constantly re-doing my 1515 sq ft home, built in 1880 with some weird re-does over the decades, lol home for ten years now, with no satisfaction. Always thinking “next time, I’ll get it right”. And I have huge bags of fabrics, bedding, etc to show for it, all taking up way too much space in my house and in my mind. Now I have a real plan! Thank you again.
Your post took me to others online along a similar theme and now I am so sparked, feeling creative and “sure” about where I am headed not only in my home, but in my life!!!
Funny how we find just what we need at the right moment, you saved me today!
I’m so happy to help! Happy New Year!
I have a burnt orange sofa in my family room that I
Absolutely hate. We lived by a lake before and the color went
Well with those surroundings. I have changed the pillows
But still feel like it’s sticks out like a sore thumb. Any suggestions for me?
A sofa is like an elephant in the room… hard to hide! Bite the bullet and replace it. You will be so much happier! Sorry I don’t really have a fix that you would be happy with.
Very helpful….thank you!
I’m in the middle of a renovation. I had the bedrooms, office, both baths, and laundry painted in a soft cream colour. Just enough contrast between the walls and casings. The color is perfect in the bedrooms and office, But in the ensuite with marble walls, it casts a golden tone on such. I’ve now picked a very light griege for that room. I thought white would be too sterile with white trim, white vanity, white quartz countertop and white & grey marble. I hope looking from the bath to bedroom or vice versa that the griege will look good with the cream. Paint is not easy for the layman!
Thank you for another great lesson. I love how you pick apart a design issue into bite size pieces so we can learn from it.
Yes, paint is complex. When working with greige it is all about the undertones!
I picked Wish by BM. I have read that in a southern light some see a red undertone but I’ve read others were they say the undertones are yellow & gray and really shows no undertone just a soft, light griege. ?♀️ It’s not a south facing room so I believe it will look good with the grey & white marble. ??
Yvonne, I have returned 4 rugs trying to find the right neutral rug for my livingroom. I just love your rug and think it might work, so would you mind telling me where you found it?
You will love this rug. It’s so well made and thin for a sisal rug which is a big bonus:https://rstyle.me/+DF9OcYN_rlfzShtOr5HJgw
With the 60-30-10 rule I have a warm walnut as my 60, black as my 30 and green is suppose to be my 10 that has now turned into 30+. I have a tons of green leafed house plants that I love and don’t want to get rid of. Is there another way to make this rule work around outdoor-indoor styled home?
Use the same principles, Bonnie. They work indoors and out. However, I would not count green outside. There is just too much of it!
Yvonne, was this rug available in multiple colors? Your rug does not appear to have an “orange” undertone like the one on the website you referenced?
How do you get large items returned?
We need this secret! Is it in your purchase agreement? What is the charge for return?
Details, please.
I ALWAYS keep the packing! If I don’t like something I pack it in the original packing, print the label and send it back. I read all the return requirements of everything I buy!
Love all this info re: color, especially white. I love the lumbar pillow in the first picture. I am redecorating using ivory and a camel beige. That pillow would work beautifully. Any info on where/how to purchase?
Hi Sheryl, I got this pillow years and years ago from Ballard Designs. Here is their more current version;https://rstyle.me/+fIck1x64IucOdy1Qoz-vng
This is a great post. Very helpful as I am trying to decide if I want to keep my Sherwin Williams “Believeable Buff” walls or change to white.
Thanks!
I’m so glad this post was helpful. Believable Buff has very strong yellow undertones.
I was thinking maybe with some eyesore things, you may be able to hide them. I have a random cord coming out from the wall I don’t know how to remove that I think the prior homeowners had for something related old school internet hookup. I hid the whole thing behind a furniture piece. I used to have a loveseat in an apartment, and it had a frumpy pattern and a streak from something that would not come off one arm. I bought a white slipcover cheaply and used that and cute pillows and a white throw until I later replaced it with a nicer couch. Now I am in a house and there are options in a house you do not have when you are in an apartment. Some things you can’t DIY or hide or replace, I know, in an apartment OR a house depending on circumstances. . Sometimes it is not in the budget in any home you are in, and maybe you can change it later on. I think maybe a big focal point like a painting, for example, maybe it has burnt orange within it, which maybe isn’t your favorite color and the same orange is your fireplace brick tone, but if burnt orange is not the MAIN color in the picture, it ties in the brick without making the orange so dominant you hate the artwork and the brick fireplace. It is hard to live with something very unattractive. I think I have focused on keeping the home neat as I can, then I feel better about whatever the thing is I am stuck with.
Great tips and advice. Plus your lovely home shows how it all works! I agree with your comment regarding being happy with what you surround yourself with. It makes all the difference in the world.
Have always just used color in my decorating but after reading your article replaced somethings with white items. Much to my delight they made my favorite colors pop more! Am now working room to room adding white and beige to make every room special. Thank you for opening my eyes to the use of white/beige.
Where can I purchase the white vases with wire hangers and open drops on your side board?
Thanks! Keep the post coming.
Hi Nan, they are really pottery lanterns. I like to use them as vases. They came from Pottery Barn years ago. I have not seen the lanterns on their site recently.
I just put our guest bedroom together for a family visit. The decisions to what colors to add was so hard. I love whites but needed to add in some color from the rug we placed under the bed that had whites with navy/ light blues. So of course I added some blue in the pillows, sheets and chair throw but yet I needed one more color for the bed throw and table flowers…go more blues? add another color? ( I had wood, wicker baskets and tall wood armoire)…so I added burnt orange on the end of the bed and roses in the vase. It works! I always love all white with texture but many times I need a tad bit of a pop of color. Great color tips.
A few things that I have learned about decorating with five houses in two areas of the country, NJ and now Aiken, SC. Instead of buying numerous cans of paint to test color – get Samplize.com samples. They are very inexpensive and are painted with the actual SW or BM paint, have sticky backs that won’t harm walls so they can be moved from wall to wall. I think that most “DIY decorators ten to be too “matchy, matchy” to be safe. I would recommend hiring a professional decorator, even for just a consultation. (No I am not a professional decorator). Another set of eyes can bring a whole new and different prospective and the fee can offset money spent on mistakes. I used a great decorator for my current home and it always gets a “WOW” when people walk in.
Hi Carole, what great tips! I think hiring a decorator is a great idea.
Love your posts, so inspirational to me!
Can you please share where you purchased the white chair with the spindle detail ( has two pillows on it).
Thank you ?
Hi Cathy, I’ve had that chair for over a decade. You can see a similar chair here:https://rstyle.me/+PbH9DvQvU56_2EVhNsm7pQ
Thank you for all of your inspiration. Because of you I’m learning how to be a better decorator. Loved reading this.
Yvonne, I always enjoy reading all your posts. This one on color is really helpful. I really liked your suggestion about picking out a color and then painting a sample on a few walls to see exactly as it would look at several times during the day. This was so helpful when we painted our Living Room. I always appreciate you sharing with us. You always have such wonderful suggestions. I know that our home is so much better because of you and your posts. You spend so much time on your posts and I thank you for the knowledge I have acquired because of you, Yvonne! Bless you!
I love the rug in your beautiful sunroom! May I ask where you got it? I think it might be just what I’m looking for! Thanks Yvonne for any help you can give me.
This rug is very popular, Debbie. However, it is out of stock and I can’t find another source for it. So sorry.
Such great info and inspiration! Thanks so much!
You are welcome, Kristin!