How To Use Color In Your Decorating

(Image courtesy of unleashingmephotography)

Colors can have a profound effect on any room. The colors that you choose can create a soft comforting tone, or an energetic, exciting one. Depending on the mood that you’re going for, the main colors and accent colors that you choose can create an inviting environment.

Deciding on a palette doesn’t have to be a difficult task. This article from apartmentguide.com offers some basic advice on how to get started injecting color into your apartment. Keep reading to learn more about what color can do for your decor!

Created in 1666 by Sir Isaac Newton, the color wheel is comprised of 12 colors, which are divided into three categories:

• Primary colors (red, yellow and blue)
  
• Secondary colors, which are created by mixing primary colors (orange, green and purple)
  
• Tertiary colors, which include a primary color combined with a secondary color next to it, such as yellow-orange, red-violet and blue-green.

It will also help your decorating by understanding the three dimensions of color:

• The hue of a color is its basic color; for instance, green is the hue of light green.
  
• Adding white to a color to make a tint, or black to create a shade, or gray to create a tone, involves the value of a color.
  
• The saturation of a color is its purity. If you’re looking for bold, vibrant colors, you will be working with highly saturated colors.

Take a Look Around

If you’re having trouble figuring out what colors you like, simply take a look around you, starting with your closet. What colors do you see repeated there? Chances are, you’ll see a few colors that show up more than once, so it’s safe to assume that if you like a color enough to wear it on your body, you’ll like it enough to decorate with in your apartment. This color will become your primary color. Once you have narrowed down your primary color and have familiarized yourself with the colors on the color wheel, you can begin delving into different color schemes.

• A monochromatic color scheme plays it safe and sticks with one color in varying intensities, from light to dark. This is often the easiest color scheme to begin with, as you are only working with one color.
  
• Complementary colors are located directly across from each other on the color wheel. Blue and orange are complementary colors, as well as green and red. This color scheme is great for people who want bold yet pleasing color combinations that create a sense of harmony and provide a visual contrast.
  
• In the same vein as complementary color schemes, an analogous color scheme uses anywhere from two to six adjacent colors paired with colors located on the opposite side of the color wheel, such as blue and purple against red and orange.
  
• The final color scheme, triad, is comprised of three colors that make a triangle in the center of the color wheel, like orange, green and purple. This color scheme is bold yet balanced, and can give you lots of color to play around with.

Mood Lighting

It’s important to note your natural reactions to specific colors so that when you begin decorating, you know which colors to incorporate in specific rooms.

• Cool colors like blue and green soothe your mind, body and spirit and can have a calming effect on your space. These colors work best in rooms where you want to invoke peace and serenity, like a bathroom or bedroom.
  
• Warm colors like orange, red and yellow inspire energy and invigorate the senses. Use warm colors in rooms where you anticipate a lot of movement, like a kitchen, workout room or a child’s play room.

Finding Inspiration To Decorate Your Place

Whether you’re moving to an entirely new place or you just want a change of scenery in your apartment, decorating is a great way to express yourself and add a personal touch to your living space. Though decorating can be exciting, there are many decisions to make with your decor that can be a bit daunting and it is easy to become overwhelmed by all the options available for updating your space.

One of the best ways to get started is by picking a theme for the room. This blog from apartmentguide.com offers a couple good ideas to get you started with a theme. Keep reading for inspiration to get you on the fast track to developing your own eclectic style.

Period pieces

One approach to interior decorating is to seek inspiration from favorite periods in history. A few recently-popular period styles includeContemporary andRetro decor.

A trip through Tumblr can score some ideas about Contemporary Scandinavian Style – think sleek lines, light colors, and natural-looking woods. The key to going Contemporary is using neutral colors, geometric patterns and artistic lighting to evoke a cool, comfortable setting.

Another period decorating trend revolves around retro furnishings. Bright colors like pink, green, turquoise and yellow inform the Retro style, which gets its design inspiration from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Furniture and accessories take on abstract and futuristic shapes. If you can imagine living like The Jetsons, then you’ve nailed the sense of it, reaching back to the recent past’s idea of the future.

Check out style guides that will educate you on the basics of different periods and perhaps guide you toward the right pieces to shop for.

Location? Location. Location!

Often apartment decorating ideas emerge from a specific place, instead of a period of time. If you like to travel (or dream of traveling), then pattern your apartment after one of your favorite locales. Watch theTravel Channel or read travel magazines and blogs. Decorating around the world is an adventure where you search for tidbits from trips and immerse yourself in import shops for inspiration.

Remember that your location-inspired decorating can focus on a specific part of the world or represent a thematic style used in many areas. For example, Spanish styleevokes the feel of that country with colorful tiles, earth tones and carved wood. On the flip side, a more general theme like Rusticcan include influences from many locations, like the mountains of Montana and deserts of New Mexico. The secret to Rustic chicis using natural elements, found objects and warm colors.

Picture your lifestyle

Another way to look at your interior decorating is to evaluate your lifestyle. Are you relaxed and easy going? A little more conservative and buttoned up? Decorating is personal and should suit your unique lifestyle choices.

Laid-back, carefree decorators should take a look at Cottage style. This approach is more about attitude than accessories. The goal is to create a welcoming vibe that celebrates the ordinary and imperfect. Think thrift-store finds, slip-covered furniture and funky family heirlooms on display.

For those who appreciate structure, theTraditional style might represent you well. Traditional apartment decorating might include furniture that looks like it’s straight out of the 19th Century, though undoubtedly more comfortable. Floral patterns, symmetrical arrangements, and elegant window treatments show off the warmth of classic tastes.

If you are unsure about your decorating style, there are great online quizzes to help you decide which direction to take your apartment decorating. Or just take a chance and start decorating – you’ll have figured out your own eclectic style by the time you’re done.