Owens Corning

Comfortable With Color Schemes

Understanding general color schemes should help distinguish your individual style as well as determine what will look good together. A color scheme is basically anything that will work well together in a room. Some color schemes have already been defined for us, although you are by no means limited to them.

Monochromatic
One hue, or color family, shown in several ways. Monochromatic schemes are usually in warm, cool or neutral tones, then jazzed up with another hue for contrast. A spin-off is a monotone scheme. This simply means that texture and patterns play a large part in keeping a monotone room from becoming boring, rather than adding another hue. A monochromatic color scheme works well in any room from a bedroom to a living room to a dining room. Choosing a monochromatic scheme depends a lot on how many colors you want in one area. If this is your first try at decorating, you might decide to go with a monochromatic scheme. Working in one hue may be easier than many.

Analogous
Composed of three hues close to each other on the color wheel. This creates a harmonious, non-contrasting look. If green is your favorite color, then try a room dressed in soft greens, yellows, and yellow-greens.

Warm and Cool Colors
Colors of sunshine – reds, yellows and oranges. More aggressive on the color spectrum. Warm colors tend to grab the eye, thus filling space. Warm colors work well in a bedroom or study because they tend to be soothing and cozy.

Cool colors are blues, greens, and violets. They are considered passive colors, creating the illusion of open space. Generally, cool colors work well in dining and living rooms.

Complementary
Arranging opposite colors from the spectrum in the same room. Tends to be more lively than monochromatic or analogous schemes because it combines opposites. Complementary colors are: red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple. Done in the right proportions, these “unmatching” colors neutralize each other, and, therefore, look good when combined.

Written by the editors of HouseNet, Inc.

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