The Color Wheel

It is so important to know your primary colors, as this will help you pick out the right complimentary tones. The twelve shades of the wheel are your foundation or primary tones. You pick a particular tone for your base foundation of a room. Your accents and accessories can come from lighter or darker shades of that tone, or other complimentary tints from the wheel.

The color wheel above is a picture from the book, Gardening With Colour, written by Lance Hattatt.

I will show you different techniques in picking out your base tone. Each member of the wheel has many different lighter and darker tones. The cool tones consist of darker shades, and warm tones are your lighter shades.The word color can also be spelled colour, depending on what geographic location you live. I have always loved working with different shades and tones of the wheel. Decorating a room or entire living space does not have to frustrating or grueling. Learn the basic tones and how to put different shades together, and you and can design your own interior. This section will help you get a feel of your own personality and what you and your family would be comfortable living in daily.

I remember the creativity in me when we moved to South Carolina, in the southeastern part of the United States. We have a double wood garage door, and one of the first areas I wanted was to change the color of that door. It was faded, and need a fresh new look. I bought a couple gallons of paint and wanted to create a bold statement. Our siding is white. After I spent time sanding, priming, I took a brush and small roller and began to paint. As I paint, I always step back and check and see how the it looks. As each time I stepped back, I kept hoping the paint would be darker when it dried. A few hours later I put down the paint brush. I was so proud. I cleaned up the brush and roller and let the paint dry. A couple hours later I walked out and my eyes totally bugged out. I had painted what I thought was a soft burgundy tone, and created a putrid pink tone. My husband came home and nearly kept on going down the road. The next day I went back and bought more paint and changed the entire scheme and made sure to check what color I really wanted. It was another lesson for me in painting and understanding different tones on different surfaces. Have you ever done anything like this before?

Determining Your Base Color

How do you decide on the right color for a room? One of the first steps when decorating any interior space, is to choose a base tone. In this day and age there are thousands of different samples of every possible shade for you to choose from. Here are a few ideas and thoughts before you actually decide on that right shade.

Pick out three possible base colors

Look at the overall size of the room

What other tones do you have near the room?

How much light do you get in the room?

Look at the samples in natural lighting

The five suggestions above are only a guideline that you can follow. It is your taste and personality that will determine what the outcome will be. To ensure you get the exact tone you want, go ahead and get three samples of completely different colors. Most samples today will have different shades on each sample. The samples usually start out with the lightest shade first, and the last shade is the darkest. Overall size of a room may determine if you use a lighter or darker tone. Small rooms can look bigger if done in a soft and lighter color. Large rooms can have a dynamic look in a bold tone. This is not to say that you can't have a rich burgundy shade in a small space. If red and purple shades fit you, the key is to find that right tone that will not only blend with other rooms, but will create a stunning look with your accents and accessories. Are you looking for a certain shades or tone to match?

Natural lighting will effect the different tones of a room. When you are looking at your sample of paints or other materials, take it out in natural lighting. The flourescent lighting in stores show a different perspective than natural lighting. If you are starting from scratch, sometimes this is to your advantage. A lot of people building their own home choose an earth tone base scheme and can have the option to change once they live in a house for awhile. I will be doing pages in the near future on different aspects of interior design when building a house. If you are doing a room that already has paint, paper or paneling on the walls, it is important that you make notes of all the other color and tones you have near that room. One goal you might have is to make the entire color scheme blend throughout your living space.

We will be looking at all the different tones and how to incorporate different shades in a variety of settings. The color wheel gives each of us a basis to begin our first phase of decorating. Today with the way paint can be mixed, you can take most any tone and create your very own shade. Mixing a combination of colors to complete your overall scheme is also important. We will learn what colors blend well together and how you can take a dark painted wall, and lighten the room up with accents and accessories. In the Interior Decorating Ideas For You, home page, I talk about what accents and accessories are.

The great aspect with interior decorating today, is you have so many options. You can create a child's room using a theme, and also using the primary colours. Crayon themes are popular in children's rooms as well as cartoon characters. I will be doing an entire section on children's room. From the infant, through early childhood, pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults in college, or starting out in an apartment. Children learn about color in school, and using the primary tones from the wheel can also allow them to participate in decorating their very own room. The great news is you don't have to spend a fortune decorating. A little creativity and knowledge can go a long ways.

The color wheel section is not only going to be about learning base tones and shades, but doing things together to be able to create rooms that come to life. If you have any suggestions or ideas for this section, feel free to contact me. This blue primary colour is bold and strking. This tone can make a statement and also act as a great focal point in a room. The trim can be painted in a stark white, cream, or a lighter shade of blue. We will be taking all the different primary colors and work with different tones in creating a variety of different interior designs. I am truly excited about getting started, and helping you create several a new look for any room.

LET'S BEGIN USING THE COLOR WHEEL

Neutral Tones Create A Warm And Soothing Look
Neutral tones can create a warm and relaxing atmosphere in any room. Cream, taupe, and tan make up the natural colors. You can use one or more in a room and have a fresh new look. Knowing the colors in your foundation paint for your walls or ceiling is very important.

Bold And Dark Color Tones And Shades
Bold and dark color tones can create a dynamic look in any room. Blend lighter and other darker shades with your base color, and the results will be a rich and refreshing new look. Here are a couple of different ideas for you.

Pastels Are Great In Decorating Different Rooms
Pastels are a great way to decorate a room or do an entire living space. Pastels are soft and light tones and when used with other complimentary colors, creates a soothing and relaxing atmosphere to enjoy. Take a look at a couple of different ideas with pastel colors.

Different Shades And Tones To Use In Rooms
Patterns and taking different matching colors can turn a dull room into a wonderful new look. There are some ideas for how to use the base color as a focal point and suggestions of taking the secondary colors for accents and accessories. I will be doing a series of different patterns to give you some interior decorating ideas.

Jewel Tones - Burgundy, Green, And Blue
Jewel tones of burgundy, green, and blue can create a rich and wonderful bedroom or office. Add a neutral color with the jewel tones to soften the darker tones. A few simple ideas for you using these four different colors.

Shades Of Whites Result In Warmth And Eloquence
Shades of off white can create eloquence to a room, as well as a warm and soft look. here are a few basic ideas for using off whites with some neutrals as well as lighter warm and cool colors.

Painting A Room From A Picture
Painting a room from a picture is one way of decorating a room using different color tones. Painting a room from a picture is also fun to create. Some simple ideas to paint a room and make that one picture a focal point in the room.

Outdoor And Matching Indoor Colors Create A Great Look
Decorating with matching colors inside and outdoors can create a great look. Take the colors of your plants, outdoor features and bring them inside. This will show off your personality and allow you to enjoy the colors you like! Get a little creative and you can have a matching indoor and outdoor haven.

Southern Warm Colors For An Interior
Southern interior colors are warm, rich, and soothing. Orange-red tones, yellow, green and blue are all popular colors here in the south. This page will give you some ideas of what I did in our home to create a southern look.

Green And Three Shades - Lime, Sage, And Hunter
Different green shades in a room can create a great look. Three of the most popular shades in the green family are sage, hunter, and lime. You can use all three in one room. I love decorating a room with a foundation color and play off that color with different tones. Some simple ideas for you on these three different shades of green.

Yellow And Blue, Great Balance In Decorating Rooms
Yellow and blue mixed together is a great choice in decorating. Use one or the other as your base foundation color, and bring in the complimentary color using different shapes. Simple ideas for a great look!

Black Tones And Blending Shades Of Gray And Tan
Black can bring out formal, comtempory, old and nostalgia. This color can be used in a theme base room. Blending in gray, tan, and even white will balance the room and make it your very own special place. Four simple illustrations of these colors.

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