Woman's Wonderla

Color scheme helps your to determine the harmony between colors in home décor. A color wheel can be quite useful while deciding a color scheme for your home as it helps you to compare complimentary colors. Interactive color wheel tools and software are available online for your reference. The use of color wheel makes choosing the combination of colors for painting your walls, accents, furnishings, furniture and accessories much easier. Here are a few tips that you can use while deciding upon the color scheme for your home:


Monochromatic color scheme uses only one color throughout. Variety is introduced by using various tints, tones, values and shades of that key color and different textures.


Complimentary color scheme
uses two colors placed opposite to each other on the color wheel, their tints, tones, shades and values such as yellow and violet. This scheme is quite bold and lend a dramatic touch to the home décor. Analogous color schemes use three hues placed adjacent to each other on the color wheel but use either combination of warm colors only or combination of cool colors only.


Triadic color schemes
use three hues placed consecutively or at equal distances from each other such as red, yellow and blue, their tints, tones, shades and values A novice can easily decide upon the color scheme using the following steps: Use your favorite pattern as the guiding line for your color palette. The lightest color in the pattern can be used for the background such as wall paint color, medium color for large furniture pieces, windows, doors, closets and cabinets while the darkest color can be used for accessories. Color can make quite a lot of difference to the size and proportion of the room. So, remember that white and pale colors reflect light more to making the room appear larger while dark colors make room appear cozier and smaller. When it comes to furniture and accessories, white and pale colored objects or objects in similar color as the wall recede into background while brighter and darker objects attract our attention more and seem to occupy more space, so if the room is really small, you can try buying furniture and furnishings in same color as your walls or pale shades and accessorize with bright bold colors to create focal points.

Colors have tremendous emotional impact, understanding how color affects human beings can help you create a harmonious, joyful home. But studies have also shown that color elicits physiological responses, as well. For instance, the color red stimulates the body by raising the breathing rate, blood pressure, and heart rate, while light blue and dark green have the opposite effect.

Other Physiological Color Responses

Imagine you're driving by a green field of grass, punctuated by yellow wild flowers. you'll notice the yellow flowers more than the green grass, because yellow is the first color our eyes notice. Painting walls a pale yellow mimics a sun-filled space and creates a soothing feeling for the room’s occupants. White lace or sheer curtains, tinted with a tiny amount of pale yellow dye, will make a home feel sunny and cheerful.

However, bright yellows can cause feelings of turmoil and hostility. Therefore, bright yellows should be used sparingly, especially in high-anxiety centers such as kitchens. Also, naturally bright rooms that have been painted bright yellow may over-stimulate some people, contributing to angry feelings. However, that very same dazzling yellow room may be just the perfect place on an overcast day in a cold climate.

Red is the strongest and longest-lasting color our eyes process. Red is like a cup of tea or coffee; it awakens the senses. Dining room walls painted dark rouge red are not only romantic and festive; but they also help make food taste fabulous. At night, in low light, dark red is lavish and sensuous. In the morning, the same red enlivens and motivates you to live the day fully.

Many people are afraid to use red on walls because they mistakenly believe red to be an angry or blood-associated color, but red is auspicious, not caustic. Artwork often looks more important with a red background as opposed to white, and almost everyone looks great with rich red as a background color.

Light sky blue has a soothing effect on humans. This is because the pituitary gland releases tranquilizing hormones when we look at sky blue. If you want the feelings generated by baby blue but reject the color as “babyish,” add a little black and use a complex grayed-blue.

White suggests cleanliness and reflects the most light. It’s the purest of all the colors and psychologically denotes respectability and attention to hygiene. Brilliant white adds coolness to hot color schemes. Too much white will cause squinting and eyestrain, however, and it’s uncomplimentary to pale-skinned people.

Gray makes rooms seem refined and exclusive and denotes prudence and humility while bringing an aura of elegance. The only color that leaves no after image, gray instills creativity, imagination, and meditation, but should be avoided in areas where the natural daylight is often diffused by overcast skies.