Color plays a key role in the design of any home, and using your favorite hues is a fun way to bring vibrancy to each room. Yet choosing the right color palette can be challenging – too many shades create a clashing look, while the same color in every room feels bland. If you’re excited to choose home colors but unsure where to start, W.B. Homes offers a few suggestions that will help you achieve the perfect balance.
Work with Fixed Elements
It’s easy to change paint colors and bring in accent pieces, but making big changes to key elements of the home is a lot harder. Fixed elements, like your countertops, cabinetry, flooring, tiles, and similar fixtures, can’t be moved or replaced without substantial cost. The color story you choose to tell should work harmoniously with these existing elements.
Because these are often neutral in color, that’s usually easy to do. Every fixed element will have a masstone or the dominant color that defines it. However, you’ll also find undertones, subtle influences, and shades that give us rich creams, warm almonds, and soft pearl grays rather than flat colors. Use these undertones to guide your home color choices in areas where fixed elements are present.
Understanding the Role of the Color Wheel
With your fixed elements in mind, you can begin thinking about color choices. The color wheel is the best place to start, as a little basic color theory can ensure harmony in your selections. Choose colors that work well with your undertone to create a pleasant palette that coordinates from room to room throughout the home. Simple options include:
- Monochromatic color schemes: These color palettes use variations on a single color. If your cabinets feature a yellow undertone, you should choose shades of yellow throughout the room.
- Analogous color schemes: Analogous colors sit next to each other on the color wheel, such as reds, purples, and pinks.
- Complementary color schemes: Hues at opposite sides of the color wheel, like red and green, are considered complementary.
If you’re uncertain about mixing diverse colors, analogous color palettes are among the easiest to pull off. Choose a few core colors and remix them with subtle variations throughout the home for a look that’s cohesive, but never dull.
Two Easy Rules for Consistent Home Colors
What else do you need to know about home colors? Interior design pros use two simple rules to guide their color palettes, and you can too. First, limit yourself to no more than three colors per room. This prevents clashing hues and loud, garish looks. We suggest you choose two colors you love for use throughout the home, then mix in accent colors that vary by room for a consistent, yet vivid, look.
Second, keep the rule of 60/30/10 in mind. This means that 60% of the room should be a single, dominant color, while 30% is devoted to the secondary shade. The remaining 10% brings in your accent color to raise visual interest without overwhelming.
Tell Your Home’s Color Story
With these tips in mind, it’s easy to choose home colors you’ll love for years to come. Does your home need more than a color update? If so, learn more about beautiful, custom-crafted homes from W.B. Homes today. We build our high-quality homes in welcoming neighborhoods, nearby great schools, local attractions, and everything you need to make the most of life. For more information, call 215-800-3075 today.