We are all familiar with the powerful effects colour can have on our mood. Some colours make one feel cosy, whereas others can make one anxious. Designing a cohesive colour flow for a new space can be daunting.
This article will help you understand the basics of colour theory and balancing, the emotional effects of specific colours and how you can conquer this dilemma with a few simple strategies.
Colour Theory in Interior Design
Before we begin a conversation about colour palettes, it is essential to familiarise yourself with the basics of colour theory. In a nutshell, colour theory is a concept of colour matching that tells us the types of emotions we can evoke using specific colour sets.
Cohesive Colour Flow: Familiarising Yourself With The Colour Wheel
The most essential element of colour theory is the colour wheel. The colour wheel is a handy visual tool that incorporates all the colours visible to the human eye.
One colour steeps into the next in the circular pattern giving you a comprehensive understanding of how different shades occur and how they complement one another.
Pick any colour on the wheel - say blue.
Then the colours adjacent to it on either side are known as analogous colours (Purple and Green), and the colour opposite to it is a complementary colour (Orange).
Analogous colours used as accents to a dominant colour help create depth and variation. It also gives off a calm and collected energy. Conversely, complementary colours used as accents create a high contrast space giving a feeling of very high energy. All these are the moods of the colours.
Therefore, before going forward with your interior design plans, always pick a ‘Mood’ of colour that reflects your personality, settling on a dominant colour.
Read: 8 Things To Consider When Designing Windows For Your Home
Choosing a colour tone and repeating its shades
Once you have decided on the mood of your space, you must select the dominant colour. When choosing this colour, consider your personality and the architecture of your space.
For instance, if you are a high energy person, you might want to consider brighter tones like chrome or canary yellow. However, if you want a more subdued, earthy space, mustard or beige tone might be more suitable.
Remember that warm colours are likely to build a cosier atmosphere, whereas cool colours will give a more industrial feel.
Take your time selecting the dominant colour of your space, as this will be the fulcrum around which everything else will fall into place. Once you have your tonal choice in place, repetition is the next step to creating a cohesive interior space.
You need to repeat this colour tone in the form of accents throughout your living space to create a sense of flow. An exciting way to do this is by placing different shades of the same colour in the statement or accent pieces.
Repeat the colour and its sisters over and over again throughout your space. For example, you can adopt a blend of mustard, beige and oat yellow tones.
If your dominant colour is mustard, have a mustard sofa, a yellow oat vase, beige artwork in the living room, a cedar wood chest of drawers in the bedroom and a mustard patterned rug in the dining room.
Make a statement with paint.
A simple way to create a flow in your space is by painting a wall in every room a particular colour. It is a sure-fire way to ensure that there is an essential element that binds your entire space together.
However, we can understand that this might be too bold a choice for some. Therefore, you could consider painting a wall in a smaller, private space and using accents in the bigger shared spaces, or vice versa.
Architecture and sightlines
Another essential aspect to consider while planning your design flow is your sightline. This word might sound complicated, but it means a line of sight.
Stand in any spot of your home and see what other spaces come within your line of sight. These are the key spaces that you need to work on the most.
It is in these spaces that you should place cohesive elements. The architecture of your space is also essential when choosing a colour palette.
For example, a space with high ceilings might lend itself well to a cooler colour palette. However, the same high ceiling with brick walls will likely feel more at home in a warmer palette.
Accents and unexpected elements
The accents that you add to your space are the elements that will bind the entire space together. Small votives, artwork, choice of fabric, the colour of furniture and even indoor plants will contribute to the overall aesthetic. We advise that you invest some time in planning what goes where.
It is always interesting to add unexpected elements to give that extra pizazz. For example, a pristine white bedsheet in a predominantly blue room is unexpected because the neutral colour is being used to make the space pop. In this manner, you can play with patterns and fabric texture to bring something uniquely ‘you’ to your space.
Read: 6 Tips To Marry Vintage Design With a Contemporary Look In Your Home Interiors
Shared spaces and private ones
There is always a difference between the individual flows of shared and private spaces. In private spaces like bathrooms and bedrooms, you can afford to make bolder choices.
You can choose to paint the walls black in a small bathroom with white fittings giving a pop. In a shared space, try to keep your base colour neutral, layer it with large items in your dominant colour choice and then follow it up with accent shades to give the room depth and body.
Takeaways
Designing a cohesive colour flow can be difficult. However, you, too, can achieve the lovely interiors that you have saved as references on your idea board.
A balancing of colours in the space is key to achieving your desired look. So if you feel like you need some professional advice, do get in touch with us. Book a consultation at Hipcouch now.