Design Tip #1: How to Decorate with Color

My first design tip is how to use color to decorate your space. Choosing the right color for your room is not always easy. You have to keep in mind the intensity of color, the hue, the tint and the shade you want to choose. 

I found a great article at: http://www.the-creative-home.com/decorating-with-color.html, which explains everything you need to know about the color wheel and how to create different color schemes using the color wheel. 

Decorating with Color - The Color Wheel

A basic color wheel is made up of 12 colors.  These colors are broken down further into three categories;

• Primary color - red, yellow, blue.  These are pure colors and cannot be made by any other colors
• Secondary color - green, orange, and violet.  Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors - for instance yellow and blue make green.  
• Tertiary color -  yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue violet, blue-green, and yellow-green.  These colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color. 

Decorating with Color - Color Schemes

A color scheme is simply a group of colors that harmonize with each other.  The basic color schemes are:

• Complimentary:   This color scheme uses two colors that are on the opposite side of the color wheel such as red and green or yellow and violet.   Because there is a strong contrast between complimentary colors rooms using this color scheme are bold.   
  Complementary color shades can be broken down further into the following categories;
• Split Complementary – this scheme is used when one color is combined with the two colors on opposite sides of its complementary color.
• Triad – a triad is accomplished when three colors of equal distance to each other on the color wheel are used.  Red, yellow and blue combine to make a triad color scheme.
• Tetrad – by combining to pairs of complimentary colors a tetrad color scheme is created.
• Analogous: Using colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.
• Monochromatic:  Using the same color with different shades, tints or tones.  Textural interest should be added to monochromatic color schemes to keep them from getting boring.  In addition, a small bit of color added to accessories will enhance a monochromatic color scheme.