Tips for Decorating with Color

Keep the decorating to one color scheme

It's best to pick a color scheme that works throughout the home. It looks very amateurish to decorate a home as if it were a rainbow, with one room decorated all in orange, another all in green, a third in purple, etc. Instead pick three key colors from the color wheel that are either Monochromatic (same color hue), Analogous (next to each other on the color wheel), or Complementary (color wheel opposites). Once you've chosen a color scheme, use that color scheme consistently in every room. Neutral colors such as white, black and brown do not count as one of the colors.

Adding variety to the color scheme

That doesn't mean that you have to have color spread evenly in each room such as a third blue, orange, and gold. You can have a living room that is primarily blue, with a few orange pillows and a floral arrangement in shades of blue and orange. Then in the dining area, the table linens could be primarily orange and yellows with a centerpiece that has touches of blue.

Your fabrics can blend the colors or carry just one of the colors, mixing and matching. Just ask yourself every time you shop "can this piece of decor fit into any room in my home?" If your answer is yes, buy it, if not, don't.

You can also add variety by using different designs and textures in certain rooms and even varying shades of the colors. But as you buy furniture, room decor, pillows, bedspreads or window coverings, always make it your rule to test their color relevancy based on your home in its entirety.

Using this simple rule will create a home that will look coordinated without looking boring, and if you tire of a lamp or pillow in one room, you'll be able to give it new life in another room. Mix and match decor and design, but only in one color scheme. Your friends will think you hired a designer!

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