Use Color to Renovate Your Home’s Look
Sometimes we get bored with the way that our house looks, and we just want to change something. If you want to do something a bit more drastic than just rearranging your furniture, but you don’t want to start a major remodeling project, try changing up the color in your home.
There are a number of ways that you can use color in your home, whether it’s to create a specific ambience, tie certain objects in the room together, create fun accents, or add a touch of elegance.
The Color Wheel
Before you get started, it’s a good idea to have a basic knowledge of color theory, or the color wheel. We all know about primary colors, but did you know that there are also secondary and tertiary colors? Looking at a color wheel can help you to find colors that complement each other rather than clashing.
Primary colors (the colors from which all other colors are derived):
- Red
- Blue
- Yellow
Secondary colors (made by mixing two primary colors):
- Green
- Orange
- Purple
Tertiary Colors (made by mixing a primary and a secondary color):
- Yellow-orange
- Red-orange
- Red-purple
- Blue-purple
- Blue-green
- Yellow-green
Use Accents
Deciding how to incorporate color into your home can be a difficult decision, so its best to start by making the problem smaller. Specifically, choose one room in your house. Then, draw inspiration from something you love in that room. It could be a painting, a piece of furniture, or a decorative object (if you don’t love anything in the room, it may be time for you to do some redecorating).
Once you’ve selected an object, think about how you could use it as a focal point in the room. If it’s a bigger item, like a dresser, desk, or bookcase, you could paint it. Or, you could find other items with similar colors and create a tied-together look by placing the other items throughout the room. For instance, if you have a cherry red vase in your living room, you could find some cherry red throw pillows for your couch, perhaps a red ottoman, and maybe a red photo frame.
If you want to do more than just change the accent color of a room, you may want to consider painting.
Use Paint
Painting a room will instantly change its look, which can be a fun and not too expensive way to change your home. Before you paint a room, it is always wise to consider the furniture and accessories in the room to help you decide what wall color will complement those items.
You shouldn’t be afraid to stray from traditional white and beige walls–try something new and fun. However, if you’re thinking of trying a bright or dark color, try using a home design app that will let you see what the color would look like on your walls. Sometimes a color that looks appealing on a small square of paper can be overwhelming when it’s covering four walls.
