Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Choosing a Color Scheme


We've been obsessed with colors lately. We've set about selecting floor decor that infuses colors from the Pantone Fashion Color report for Fall 2013 such as Linden, Emerald and Koi. Each one is so beautifully unique we wondered how one might go about choosing the best color scheme for a room or multiple rooms in their home.

With all of this talk of fashionable colors it got us thinking: what if you opted to change your decor around the latest fashionable colors. Better yet, how do you find the color that works best for you and plays well with others?

When shopping for home decor, including furniture rugs or accessories, what is the first thing that you notice? Is it color? Style? Design? Material? Is it how well all of those things work together?


Warm Color Tones
Choosing a specific color scheme for a space is a very visceral experience. Colors can be mood enhancers, temperature adjusters, space transformers, and sleep effectors.  The psychology of color is a design trend that is effectually rooted in what color will emit a certain "feeling." However, you can have strong feelings about a specific color that resonates in ways much deeper than generalized notions. For example, the notion that green is relaxing and blue is calming can change dramatically when different hues of these colors are used. 

What's your favorite color? Here are some tips to help you choose a color scheme that will work for any space.

1. Patterns - If you already have some patterns in a space, ie the design work on a favorite rug or a favorite bedspread, choose a color scheme that works with the existing colors in the pattern. The match could be an identical color match or a lighter or darker hue.

This a perfect example of making the modernist rug the focal point of the room and using its bold color palette to create a color scheme.

Design by Jill E. Hertz


2. Brightness - Bright colors, such as vibrant shades of green and blue or yellow and orange can create a feeling of opening and space. These colors often evoke happiness and lightheartedness and work particularly well in kitchens or breakfast nooks.

Surya Aros Collection in Lime

3. Darkness - Darker colors can feel more constricting, but more cozy and comfortable. These colors can work well in an office, dining room, or even a living area as an accent color. Of course the more natural light that is included in the space, the easier it is to balance out darker colors.

Surya Mystique Collection in Coffee Bean

4. Warmth - Hues of yellows and oranges can increase the perceived temperature of a room. For a room in the house that may seem colder than others, either because of the darkness of the space or because it may be a north facing room, a brighter color can contribute to the warmth. Warm colors can inspire activity, so it is recommended more for a library, foyer, office, study or sitting area as opposed to a bedroom.

Jaipur Barcelona Indoor/Outdoor Collection in Red Orange

5. Coolness - the cooler color palettes such as pale blues and greens work well in rooms that require relaxation and calmness. These colors work particularly well in bedrooms.


6. Formal Areas - For the formal areas of the home, ie, those rooms in which everyone is welcome, such as the living area, dining area and entry, choose a color scheme that connect these areas (as they are often physically connected). Even if the hues change from room to room, there is a common color scheme that can work well as you move from one space to the next.

7. Test Paints - If you are having trouble deciding how a particular color may look and feel in a room, buy a sample size of the paint color. Paint a portion of a wall in the color that you are considering and stand back. Let it stew for a few days. See how it makes you feel and how well it blends in or stands out, depending on the effect you may be trying to achieve. If the color is totally wrong, go back to the drawing board.



8. Color Wheel - If you are choosing colors that will work well together, but are not the same hues, try reaching across the color wheel. Complimentary colors don't have to be right next to each other to work well together. Hues of blues and oranges, for example, can complement each other well when working with paint color vs. accessories. Even within your accessories, you may find these colors that are opposite the color wheel, working together.

This rug in Suya's Rain Collection combines orange and blue (two colors opposite on the color wheel) into a bold and beautiful statement.

Surya's Rain Collection

Try incorporating complementary colors with a dominant color, even if the hues are changed. Accents and color pops may be on a completely different end of a spectrum, with gorgeous results. Also if you go with a more neutral palette such as grays and browns, you have a backdrop against which a great number of colors will work. Color pop and don't stop.



Remember, the most important component of choosing a color that is right for you is to follow your own personal style. Don't be forced in a color scheme simply because someone else tells you it might work. You are the one who has to live with it and if it doesn't feel right, go back to the color wheel and find a scheme that best represents you and your space.

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