Unsure about using a color wheel?

Looking for a new color scheme but don't know where to begin? Check out these basics of color theory and start off on the right foot.

By learning to use a color wheel,your home will be a place where you are surrounded by your favorite colors. Color is a very personal thing and it is essential that you decorate your home with your own personal color pallet that makes you feel comfortable, loved, and secure.

Many people feel they don't know much about using color in home decorating but that is not true.

If I were to ask ten people on the street what their favorite color is, 10 people would have an immediate answer for me. Deep down we know color and understand it more clearly than we give ourselves credit for.

If you were to look in your closet, you would most likely find a predominance of certain colors. This color tends to catch our eye whenever we shop. This is a color that makes you feel good about yourself and gives you confidence. I don't know about you, but I actually have to make myself walk away from the colors I am always drawn to if I want to purchase something different and outstanding for a special occasion.

I could go into the science of color here,definitions of hue, tint, and shade, but there are shelves of books written on nothing but the subject of color. You can also research this topic to eternity on the Internet.

How to Use a Color Wheel and the Basics of Color Theory

What I prefer to do here is give you some basic color theory and help you decide how to choose colors based on your preferences, furniture styles, and the architectural details of your home.

If you would like a printable color wheel, just right click on this color wheel image, copy and paste this image into your Word program, adjust it to any size you wish, then print. You'll find this a useful graphic to keep in your decorating portfolio.

Research These Links

• This is a color wheel built for web designers. It is an interactive color wheel and as you move your mouse over it, you can see the characteristics change. This is a great way to see how each color is affected by it's neighbor.


• Here is another fun wheel that was designed for gardeners. However, it will give you a different perspective from the basic color wheel.


• If you are really interested in the subject of Color Theory and would like to delve deeper into this area visit this site to learn everything you've always wanted to know about Color Theory

Along with being warm, cool, and neutral, colors are also complementary, split complementary, or analogous, and monochromatic.

Analogus colors

• are colors located next to each other on the color wheel. Because they always have a color in common, such as purple and red, or purple and blue, they always work well together and never clash with each other

Complementary colors

• are opposites on the color wheel. An example of this would be blue and orange, red and green, or purple and yellow. These colors tend to accent each other and bring out the best of each color

Split complementary

• is made up of three colors: your main color choice, and the two colors on the sides of the complementary color. An example of this would be blue with yellow orange and red orange (one on each side of orange) being the split complementary combination.

Monochromatic colors

• are colors of the same family of varying tints and shades, such as all blues, greens, or browns. The problem with using this color scheme is that it is hard to make any particular item the focus point. Also if there is not enough contrast, the room will look boring and dull.

Now that you have studied the color wheel, you are ready to move on to other sections on how to actually work with color to develop a look of your own. Visit the links below to continue learning about how to decorate with color:

Color Properties

Color Decorating Tips



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