Mixing and matching colors may be difficult for some people so here is Kriz with this video tutorial providing amateur DIYers with some tried-and-tested tips and tricks.

Tip 1: Choose Colors from the Most Dominant Item in Your Space

Look at the space. If you’re in the living room and the sofa is the biggest item there, check out its color(s). Then choose colors that complement it.

If you love the monochromatic look for a restful and immersive effect, then go for colors which vary in light and saturation to add depth.

See how the cream sofa is complemented by the white walls and off-white area rug that has black patterns which echo the colors of the paintings, door and pillow cover. The combination is not stark but warm and inviting because of the wooden floor, brown accent pieces, and metallic hints of gold.

 

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Are you the type who loves brighter and bolder colors? Look at the image below. The dark grey sofa is matched with walls painted in blush. The warm colors of light wood, orange and yellow add interest and coziness to the space. Top it off with copper accents and you have a living room that welcomes you every time you step in the front door.

 

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If you are not certain about how to mix and match colors, click on the links below:

How to Create a Perfect Color Scheme
Basic Color Wheel + Tinting Paint
How to Use Cool and Warm Colors

Tip 2: Dark to Light from Floor to Ceiling

Having colors that go from dark to light vertically helps the eye move easily around the room. This is what our eyes are used to when we look at nature, from the dark ground to the bright sky above.

 

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This also creates a sense of balance, of being grounded. Imagine if you had a dark-colored ceiling (which is your fifth wall by the way), the illusion you get is that you bring the ceiling down closer to the floor. All well and good if you have such high ceilings to begin with, and you want to create an intimate space. However, it is best to leave this color design to experts.

The kitchen above is very easy on the eye. You see the warm wooden floors, the powder blue cabinets below the island, the white floor-to-ceiling cabinets, white walls, and the white ceiling. This light, airy and spacious kitchen is such a luxury and an inspiring place to cook good and healthy meals for the family.

Tip 3: Choose an Analogous Color Palette

An analogous color scheme are colors that are adjacent or next to each other on the color wheel. This scheme gives a comfortable and harmonious vibe to a space.

 

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Who wouldn’t want to be in this space right now? I love my four walls but this quarantine makes me dream of indoor-outdoor living spaces like this one.

Look how the analogous colors of light brown, terra cotta and yellow meld together to give a mellow and restful feel to this terrace.

Tip 4: Use the 60-30-10 Rule

What’s the 60-30-10 rule? You can create a cohesive look if you have one dominant color for 60% of the surfaces, 30% for your accent wall, furniture pieces, lighting, or soft furnishings, then 10% for your accents.

In the terrace above, you will see the browns taking up 60% of that vignette, the wall and floor at 30%, and the accent colors of terra cotta and yellow at 10%.

 

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This bedroom has the light wood at 60%, the grey concrete and bed linen at 30%, and white at 10% as the accent color.

Tip 5: Use Vivid Colors in Small Spaces

Don’t be afraid to use bright colors in small spaces. Having vivid colors can work if you have negative space to allow the eye to travel.

 

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This is such a fresh, warm, and inviting bedroom. The eye does not get tired because the colors are bright but not intense or saturated.

Tip 6: Use Warm and Cool Colors for Contrast

Warm and cool colors change the way you experience a room.

Warm colors make a space feel cozy and intimate, while cool colors make a room feel more spacious and airy.

You can combine warm and cool colors in a space to achieve balance, and not have a room which is too stimulating or too restful. Here is a good example below with the complementary colors, blue and orange. This combination makes the room dynamic but still soothing to the eye.

 

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Tip 7: Use the Rule of Threes

The rule of threes in interior design usually means that colors, things, also textures, arranged in odd numbers instead of even numbers, are more interesting to look at. The effect is more memorable. You can have 5, 7, or 9 items but 3 seems to be the magic number.

 

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Here, we go back too to the 60-30-10 rule, so 60% for the dominant color in a space, 30% for the secondary color, and 10% for the accent color. In the space above, white is the primary color, pale wood is the secondary color, and slate is the accent color.

Of course, this rule can be broken but leave that to professionals.

Tip 8: Follow Your Heart

As we say here in Let it B, if your color choices please you, then let it be.

It’s your home, your rules.

Subscribe to the blog for paint color inspirations. When you’re ready to paint your home, go to any Boysen Mix and Match Station at a home depot close to you.

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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