One of our followers on Instagram DMed us the other day about a beautiful reel we posted about an ongoing project in Pune. The question from our follower was about a guide to colours she wanted to use in her interior decoration. Yes, we get a lot of questions around tips and guides on various elements to be used in the home and office decoration, and we always try to answer them satisfactorily.
Going back to our obsession with colours and themes, we are speaking about choosing the right colour combination for your interior design through this article.
Selecting the right colours for a well-appointed décor gets easy when you follow one of the interior design rules. This time-tested guide will help you get the best suitable colours to use in your décor.
The Basic Thumb Rule is 60-30-10
60-30-10 is one of the oldest interior design rules that divides a colour scheme into percentages of colour use.
Whenever a client with vibrant colour expectations approaches us for a suggestion on colour combination, we explain them a 60-30-10 rule in brief, and here’s what we discuss with them…
60% Main Colour
The primary colour should represent 60% of the colour used in your room design. This generally includes the wall colour, floor colour (either carpeting or an area rug), and a piece of furniture or two. It may also have window treatment, like curtains or draperies. All of these don’t specifically need to be solid colours, but the main colour should always be vibrant.
30% Secondary Colour
The second colour will cover 30% of your décor colour scheme. With only about 50% of the amount of colour saturation as the main colour, this secondary colour doesn’t compete with the appeal of your overall design. Instead, it should contrast with the primary colour. Being a different colour, the secondary colour is good for depth and interest in your décor.
10% Accent Colour
The next colour will be 33.33% of the secondary colour and 15% of the main colour. This colour can be used as the accent colour. The purpose is to offer greater interest and create a contrast to your colour scheme. The third colour should be used throughout the décor to draw attention to the room design.
If you agree with this rule, make sure you have saved this link somewhere readily accessible. It might come in handy next time you are searching for the right colour pattern for your home decor.
Further, here we discuss five colour theory basics you should know!
1. How To Use The Colour Wheel
If you know trigonometry, the colour wheel is mostly the same we have learned about as a kid and haven’t focused on it since. But, to really know the colour you are going to pick, let’s dust off some of the knowledge. Simply, the colour wheel offers a visual presentation of which colours are mixed together. Colour wheel removes all the confusion. A typical colour wheel is made of 12 colours. But, in reality, it could be expanded to have numerous shades. We know it’s hard to memorize the colour wheel but there are multiple ways to access it digitally. We are attaching a colour wheel here for an example.
2. The Basic Colours
You would think there are only seven colours in the rainbow and how come there are 12 in the colour wheel? Trust us, there are, in fact, a minimum of 12 shades present on the colour wheel. Here’s how we break them down:
- Primary Colours: Red, blue, and yellow. We can’t make them by mixing other colours.
- Secondary Colours: Orange, Violet, and Green. We can make them by mixing the primary colours together.
- Tertiary Colours: The six shades can be made from blending primary and secondary colours.
If you are not so sure of starting when it comes to decorating a colourful interior, one of these 12 is often a good starting point. Choose one and it will help you break down your selections until you finalize on the exact shade that you love.
3. Changing Colours With Neutrals
Once you finalise the basic colour, it will be easy for you to create many different versions in the same family. All you need is to combine that colour with a neutral in order to make it light or dark as you prefer. In our interior design patterns, we call it tint, shade, and tone.
- Tint acts as a medium to light colour by adding white to it.
- Shade acts as a way to darken a colour by adding black.
- The tone is what slightly darkens a colour by adding grey.
Many interior decorators suggest experimenting with colour by mixing paints until you have a feel for how badly neutrals will affect the colour. But, if you don’t have access to art supplies, you can simply refer to tinting and shading by visiting Floma Interior Design Studio in Pune and choose a sample colour palette in your first or next discussion with our team.
4. Knowing your colour temperature
You might know colours have a temperature. Your dining room may be filled with warm tones while your friend may have a cool colour in her bedroom. These colour temperatures also suggest where the colour falls on the colour wheel. Colours like red, orange and yellow are often called warm colours. They are typically more vibrant and they showcase liveliness and intimacy to a room. On the other hand, blues, violets, and greens are cool colours. They can be used to calm down spaces and bring a relaxed feel. While choosing colour temperature for a space, you can consider the size too. Using a warm colour in a tight room can make things feel a little tight. But, using cool colours in a bigger room could leave things feeling stark.
5. Complementary Colour Scheme
When we are talking about colour schemes, complementary colours are simple. They use two colours contrasting each other on the colour wheel. Generally, one colour acts as the dominating shade and the other as an accent. This suggests combinations like red and green, blue and orange, or violet and yellow. This colour combo is high contrast, which means that it’s best used in small doses and when you want someone to look at the design element. You can use your complementary colours for your home office. If you decide on a complementary colour scheme, you can think of neutrals seriously. Complementary colours will give your eyes rest and keep overwhelming feelings away.
Keep the Colour Scheme Flowing!
Once you settle with a colour scheme for the main room in your home, you can select one colour from it to carry it through your home. You can always mix other colours with the main colour when moving from one room to other. This tactic will keep your home decor flowing and cohesive without being the same in every room.
For more help with choosing and matching colours in your interior decoration, visit www.floma.in and drop us a message. We will help you choose the best colour schemes along with other elements for your interior decor. See you soon!
