That moment when you’re looking at your new unpainted pad, and you’re supposed to choose the color combos. How do you start?

Go back to basics and use the color wheel.

There are many ways to combine colors , but for beginners, let’s play it safe and stick to these three schemes.

Complementary

You can use two colors which are at the opposite sides of the wheel, for example, blue and orange. However it is best that you use one as the base color and the other as an accent so as not to create too much of a contrast in a room, to give it a more harmonious and relaxing ambience. Unless of course, you want to create an energetic vibe.

Split Complementary

This is a variation of the complementary color scheme. In addition to a base color, the adjacent colors of its complement are used in the combination. This high-energy, vibrant color scheme would appeal to millennials, or anyone who wants a room to exude dynamism. Again, choose a main color and make the other two your accent. Adding neutrals in the mix could also make this scheme less intense but still punchy.

Tonal

An analogous color scheme is the same as monochromatic or tonal, meaning that you have one color but in different tones. This may be less vibrant than the other two color schemes above, but this combination is definitely harmonious, and can have a rich look by adding texture and patterns.

Go back to that color wheel and find the base color that appeals to you. After that, make a choice what scheme would best fit that space you will be painting. See you at the Mix & Match station.

Author

Annie is the Managing Editor of Let it B | MyBoysen Blog. An unrepentant workaholic, she runs this blog and her own company Talking Lions (https://talkinglions.com). She thrives on collaborating with people who are good at what they do, and working together with them to create something special. Annie learned interior styling while managing her own wholesale business in the Netherlands, importing high-end, handmade home furnishings to stock four outlets and a showroom in the country.

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