Homeowners often become overwhelmed when it comes time to choose a color scheme for a room. The tricky part about choosing a color scheme is that once you choose one color, you then have to decide what other potential colors to put in the room as well. So what’s the best way to choose a color scheme? One of the best tools to have at your fingertips is a color wheel.

What Is the Color Wheel?
Sir Isaac Newton was the first to use the color wheel. He performed an experiment with a prism. What he discovered was that pure white light had a wide spectrum of reflective colors. People have been using this spectrum of colors ever since. Known as the color wheel, it’s helpful for decorating and classifying colors.

The Classification of Colors Using the Color Wheel
The colors on the color while are basically classified into three different categories. 1. The primary colors consist of red, yellow, and blue. 2. Next are the secondary colors, or orange, green, and violet. These colors are created by mixing the primary colors. 3. Then you have the tertiary colors, including red-orange, yellow-orange, blue-green, and yellow-green. You combine the primary colors with the secondary colors next to them to create these colors.

Monochromatic Color Scheme Explained
A monochromatic color scheme is just like it sounds. This approach to color involves picking one color and then using only that color for the entire room. The key to this color scheme is to use varying shades, from light to dark, of that color. You can also use white in the color scheme, which will help break up the color.

Analogous Color Scheme Explained
A analogous color scheme will include anywhere from two to six different colors in the décor of a room. Here, you use colors that are adjacent to one another on the color wheel. For instance, the color red would use orange or purple as accent colors, since they are the colors next to red on the wheel. Start with your main color first, and then you can choose between you accent colors.

Complementary Color Scheme Explained
The complementary color scheme is one of the more popular approaches to color design. Essentially, you begin with a main color (such as yellow or red) and then go directly across to color wheel to find its complementary color. For yellow, for instance, the complementary color would be in the purple family. For the color green, you would look in the pinks. This can always be played with a little bit. Try mixing the family of colors: it could be green and pink, or it could be green and red.

Triad Color Scheme Explained
Another very popular design for homeowners is the triad color scheme. Here you use three colors that on the color wheel form a triangle together. One triad combination would be orange, green, and purple. Make one of these colors your main color and use the others for accent colors, or choose two colors and then accent with the third.

Remember also that both black and white are neutrals. So you can add them to any color scheme without changing that scheme too much. By playing around with the color wheel and some of these color scheme suggestions, you will be able to come up with some great options for the rooms in your home.

When it comes to figuring out the color sc heme of a room, a monochromatic color scheme is one option. A monochromatic color scheme involves using one color in the room for almost all the surfaces. Contrast is added to the room by using different shades of the color, from light to dark. If you decide to go with a monochromatic look in your home, follow these tips to create the best look possible.

Add White or a Neutral Color to the Room
When you pair the color with white or another neutral, you will avoid ending up with a room that looks like it’s too matched or boring. Rather than having the neutral color be the main focus in the room, you want to use it as an accent. If you have a blue monochromatic scheme, you might include a blue and white rug where the rest of the items (the walls and furniture) are all blue. Another way to add a neutral is to paint the trim in the room white.

Choose the Color of the Room Wisely
When you decorate a room with a monochromatic color scheme, it’s important that you really put some thought into the color choice. After all, if you go with a color you’re not crazy about, you will most likely not end up very happy with the finished look of the room. Thus, it’s important to pick out a color that you really like to look at. If you are new to the monochromatic look, you may also want to avoid bold colors, such as red and orange. You need to remember that once you choose a monochromatic look, it’s going to be much harder to change the décor of the room, since everything in the room is going to be in some shade of that same color. Therefore, it’s really important that you think carefully about your color choice. Don’t just go rushing into a hasty decision that you may end up regretting.

Mix Up the Shades of the Color
The best way to determine different shades of the color you’ve chosen is to visit a paint store and collect some color swatches. With these swatches, you can see the different shades of the color that you should work with. You want to be sure that the walls are not painted the exact same shade as the furniture or that your floor isn’t the same exact shade as the walls. Mixing up the shades of color always adds character and interest to a room, giving it a better overall look. You can also use accessories like pillows, curtains, baskets, and candles that are completely different shades from the rest of the room.

It isn’t always easy to pull off a monochromatic color scheme in a room. You definitely need to spend some time planning out the décor so that everything flows well and you end up with the perfect balance of color.

Many different factors go into choosing interior paint colors. Things such as a certain design style you’re trying to achieve or a piece of furniture you’re trying to match can all affect the choice you make for the paint color of the room. Even with all these different factors influencing your decision, there are still certain guideline you should follow when picking interior paint colors.

Don’t Rush Into a Paint Color Choice
Thousands of different interior paint colors are available, so it’s never a good idea to rush into a color decision without proper planning. The first step involves visiting your local hardware or paint store. There you can gather paint chips in whatever colors catch your eye and fit the style you envision for the room. Be sure to get a variety of chips. Things can look very different once you get home and see the color in the room.

Once you get home with your paint chips, it’s not enough to simply hold them up to the wall. It’s also important to walk around with them to compare them with the furniture, the flooring, and the windows. This will help you make sure that the color is well suited to everything in the room that you plan on keeping after the remodel. If you are having trouble picking a color, you may also want to ask for opinions from others once you have narrowed it down. Sometimes other people are able to see something that you don’t.

Make Your Own Interior Paint Color
If you’re having a difficult time finding a paint color that you absolutely love, consider making your own. In most paint stores, you can now find a custom service where they will actually match a color for you. You can bring in a painting or a fabric swatch from your room, and they will match the color for you. This can cost you more in the long run, but it is well worth it if you’re able to achieve the style you envision for your room.

Choose an Interior Paint Finish
Once you’ve determined your color of paint, you next need to pick out what type of finish you want in your room. It’s important to remember that the finish of the paint will affect the way that the paint looks. For instance, if can make some paint colors look darker or lighter, depending on the type of finish you choose.

• Flat Finish: This type of finish results in a matte or duller finish. If you want to camouflage imperfections, this is not a good type of finish, since the light will not reflect off the paint. This type of finish is also not advisable for areas that have a lot of traffic, as it is harder to clean than other finishes.
• Eggshell Finish: Just like an eggshell, this paint finish has a small shine to it. This is a very popular finish, since they are easier to clean and their subtle shine reflects light in the room.
• Satin Finish: Although this finish also has a small shine to it, it has a smoother appearance. Satin paints work great in high-traffic rooms, since they are much easier to keep clean.
• Glossy: This finish is as exactly as it sounds. What you end up with is a finish that has a very high gloss or shine to it. Semi-gloss finishes are also available that result in a little less shine. Glossy finishes are rarely used on a whole interior wall. Rather they are popular choices for accessories like trim and doors.

Paint colors can be quite easily changed, but you still want to make sure you do your best to pick the interior paint color that best fits your style and is easy on the eyes. Changing the paint color of a room, after all, can truly change the room’s entire look.

You can quickly and easily add style to any room in your home by using any of several painting techniques on your walls. These techniques make any DIY paint job look like a professional one.

There are certain things you need to do before you can start any type of painting on your walls. All your supplies need to be ready. In addition, the walls need to be prepped by filling in any cracks or holes and taping off the trim and windows with blue painter’s tape. Depending on what technique you decide to use, you will also need to be sure you have some special tools as well.

Rag Painting Technique
When you paint with the rag painting technique, no paint brushes or rollers are used. Instead, you use a simple rag (such as an old t-shirt or any type of cotton rag) to apply the paint. The result is a marbled effect on your walls.

To paint with rags:

• First dip your rag into the paint, shaking off the excess.
• Dab the rag onto the wall, taking care to apply the paint in whatever pattern you’ve chosen. But be sure not to spread out the pattern too much.
• For a creative twist to this technique, try applying a darker base color first and then rag on the lighter paint color.

Sponge Painting Technique

This particular technique is used to give a wall depth and interest. Before you can begin sponging, you will first need to apply a base color to the wall.

To apply this sponge painting technique:

• Taking a regular or sea sponge, dip it carefully into the paint or glaze of your choice.
• Starting from the edge of the wall and working your way in, dab the sponge in a random pattern.
• You can either choose to only do one wall in the room or complete all the walls in the room using this sponging technique.

Color Washing Technique

This painting technique adds a subtle finish to your walls that gives the appearance of floating color. This is a good technique for those walls with flaws that you want to cover up. This technique is a little more time consuming, however. Layers must be built up in order to get the full effect of the color wash.

To color wash:

• First, paint the wall the color you’ve selected as your base color. You’ll then need to wait for it to completely dry.
• Then, with a slightly different color or a complementary color, come back and paint another layer.
• When painting this next layer, only use a paint brush. Apply the paint in all different directions, going over your strokes. In this way, the base color will show through in random areas.
• If you want an additional color to show on the wall, you can do another layer of painting this way.

Whether you’re looking to redecorate your kitchen or bedroom, these painting techniques can be used in any room in your home. By instantly adding style to your walls, they will perk up the décor of any room.

Simply painting a room can easily freshen it up, giving it an instant new look. Yet many homeowners dread interior painting. However, if you know what to do and how to paint in an efficient manner, you’ll find that interior painting is not that bad. Follow these basic interior painting tips, and you’ll find that your next painting project will be much easier and much more fun.

1. Don’t try to prep the area and paint it all in one day
This will only leave you feeling rushed, which more times than not will lead to a bad paint job. Rather, set aside one day where you concentrate on prepping the space. If you don’t use the room much, this can even be done a few days ahead. To prepare a room for painting, you need to focus on taping the walls, laying any drop cloths, moving the furniture out of the way, and gathering all the painting supplies in the room.

2. Don’t try to paint over damaged walls
Before you even try to paint a room, it is essential that you carefully look over the walls and fix any cracks or holes you find. Any cracks and holes you find can be easily fixed with a drywall kit and some sandpaper. The drywall plaster needs some time to dry, so be sure to do this at least a day before you paint. Leave some time to sand down the area as well.

3. Select the best brushes for the paint job
For oil-based paint, go with a brush that has natural bristles. However, for water-based or latex paint, synthetic bristled brushes will give you the most even coat. Foam rollers are the most efficient way to paint a larger space. For trim and windows, though, you’ll need smaller brushes.

4. Use a primer for a more professional look
Not only does a primer make the paint go on so much more even, but it helps you avoid possible tainting from a previous wall color. Even better, you can have your primer tinted to match the color you’ve selected, which may help you avoid having to put a second coat of paint on the walls.

5. Don’t forget to use painter’s blue tape
Use masking tape for any areas you don’t want to get paint on, such as doorway frames, trim, and windows. The great thing about this tape is that when it’s applied to a smooth surface, it won’t allow the paint to seep into those areas you’re covering. When the paint has dried, you can simply remove the tape. You don’t have to worry about any of the paint coming off with it.

6. Keep plenty of old rags around for any mistakes you might make
When painting, it’s inevitable that you will drop some paint on the trim or hit something you shouldn’t with a brush.

7. Keep your strokes even when painting to ensure an even coat
It’s essential to have plenty of natural light in the room so you can see where you are painting and also find any areas you might have missed.

8. Keep any leftover paint for future touch-ups or fixes
If you don’t have the space to store a large paint can that only has a small amount of paint, then pour the leftover paint into a glass jar with a tight lid and store it that way. Label the jar with the exact color of the paint, the room it was used in, and the date, and you’ll be all set.

Painting the interior of your home isn’t as scary as it seems. With these easy tips, you are well on your way to changing the décor of your home in no time at all.

Want to create a mood in your home that complements your personality? By analyzing your home’s colors, you can find a decorating solution to create the perfect atmosphere.

Designer Color Lesson
The color wheel provides an easy way to visualize how all the different hues relate to each other. Traditionally, red, yellow, and blue are considered the three primary colors from which all the others on the wheel can be mixed. Although this is true in theory, in the studio an artist can’t actually get a pure green or purple from the primaries, as the mixed color won’t retain the intensity of the parents.

When designing a room, however, you need only be aware that purple relates to both red and blue, whereas green derives from yellow and blue. These relationships insure that the colors will harmonize with each other.

Reading the Wheel
The color wheel generally displays the pure hues of colors, such as red, blue, and green. However, in your home more likely you’re going to be using tints (lighter values) and tones, also known as shades (darker values). When painting the bedroom, for instance, you probably won’t use an intense pure green. Rather, you’ll probably go with either a soft sage or a deep hunter green.

On the wheel, colors that lie opposite each other are complementary. When paired together, complementary colors make each other appear more vivid. Hues next to each other are analogous, which means they always look good together because they share a common hue. Any three equally spaced colors on the wheel are known as triads and yield a lively yet balanced color combination. One color must dominate, however, or the scheme may feel a little jarring. Use the other two in lesser amounts or as accents.

Stir Emotions Using Warm and Cool
The color wheel can also help you identify warm and cool hues. Warm colors are stimulating and advancing, and take up half of the color wheel, from red to yellow-green. Giving these hues the description of “warm” reflects emotional associations such as the sun looks yellow, or fire is orange and red. But the “warm” designation actually has a basis in physiology. The eye cannot simultaneously focus on both the red and purple ends of the spectrum, so to solve this it perceives red to be nearer or advancing and purple to be farther or receding. The other half of the wheel is comprised of those colors that are considered cool, which generally appear to recede. Receding cool colors such as blue, green, and purple, can visually open up the walls in a small, cramped room.

Here are a couple of suggestions to follow when working with warm and cool hues. Add a dollop of a cool hue to a warm color scheme make things feel well-rounded and complete–think of the effect a green plant has in a yellow room. Equally, a jolt of warmth will really liven up a cool scheme. Thus, a shot of red will really perk up a room done in blue and white. Some interior designers consider green and purple neutrals, since they either advance or recede depending on the context and thus can go with any color scheme.

Discerning Value
We are attracted, not only to the specific hue of a color (such as red, blue-green, or orange), but also to particular values of those hues (pink, teal, or terra-cotta). When you’re talking about values, you’re referring to the lightness or darkness of a color. To lighten a pure hue, add white; to darken, add black or umber (a blackish brown). For example, sky blue and robin’s-egg blue are both light values of blue, whereas navy and cobalt are dark values.

Balancing with Accents
Light and medium values live most comfortably with each other. However, light-value schemes can be boring. You can avoid this by including an accent of a darker value. For instance, to both ground and give depth to a color scheme combining light blue and light yellow, try a touch of navy or cobalt blue.

Understanding Intensity
Intensity and saturation are two important elements of color. The most intense or saturated expression of a color is known as its pure hue. When you add the hue’s complement, you muddy the color so that’s it’s softer, more muted, and less intense.

In general, lower-intensity colors create a calm, restrained mood that’s subtle and serene. Conversely, a higher-intensity or more saturated color will generate more energy. The color will feel dynamic or richly elegant, depending on the specific colors and style of your furnishings.

Equal Partners: Achieving Color Balance
Balance is a key component of any successful color scheme. If you’re going to choose a strong color, it’ll need a strong partner, and this applies to both value and intensity. For instance, if you’re going to go with a navy blue wall, you’ll need an equally intense yellow or red to create a balanced scheme.

Intensities should be kept equal or nearly equal. A saturated red calls for an equally intense green or yellow-green. But for a muted red-orange or lower intensity, you’ll need a muted yellow-green. By pairing colors of different intensities, you create a feeling of imbalance.

Believe it or not, however small your budget, it is possible to bring new style to any room in your home. There are so many inexpensive ways to add style to your home, giving it a whole new look. Following are some great tips on decorating your home while sticking to your budget.

1. Paint is the best way to spruce up a room on a tight budget. A couple of gallons of paint will run you less than $50 and can entirely change the look of your room. Bright or bold colors will add drama to the room, whereas more neutral colors will give it a more natural appearance. There are so many ways to use paint creatively. You might choose to paint only one wall an accent color, which will make that wall the focal point of the room. Try painting stripes or use a textured painting technique to add some real interest to the walls.
2. . Another place you can make a big impact for little money is your windows. You can choose from a variety of different window coverings for any type of room. Even if you already have simple vertical blinds you don’t want to get rid of, a valance placed at the top of the window will add more drama to the area.There are so many creative ways to dress a window. Try taking sheer material and draping over a decorative curtain rod as a simple and inexpensive decorating idea. Another easy idea is long curtain panels tied back with thick ribbon or velvet.
3. You can largely impact the look of a room by simply adding some accessories that will tie the room together. So often it’s the little things that count when it comes to décor. When used the correct way, accessories such as candles, photos, flowers, and baskets can add a lot to a room. For instance, adding a row of candles to an oak coffee table will give a room a more intimate feeling. Your kitchen might look more inviting with the simple addition of a vase of flowers. Even the simplest things, such as new towels in a bathroom, can make a huge difference.For those on a tight budget, shop flea markets and consignment stores for these types of items. You may spend a little more time shopping, but this can save you a ton of money, especially if you have your whole house to decorate.
4. A simple strategy for a new look is to rearrange the furniture or pull items from one room and use them in another. If your budget is really tight, it makes sense to work with what you have. Always be on the lookout for pieces you can refurbish and add your own style to. Perhaps that old vase that used to hold flowers in the family room might be spray painted with a metallic finish and used as a centerpiece for the dining room table. Look carefully at the items you have and envision how you might change them to fit the style you’re looking for.

Just because you’re decorating doesn’t mean you have to spend thousands of dollars. You’ll be surprised at how far $100 or $200 will get you in bringing style to your home on a tight budget.