What designers want you to know about choosing the perfect color palette for your home
Having a plan while painting a home can tie your home’s look together. The key to achieving a cohesive style is creating a color palette. In interior design, a color palette is a selection of colors that balance each other and can be used throughout a space. This article highlights tips from expert interior designers to help you choose a perfect color palette for your home.
Creating a Cohesive Color Palette
- Designing a color palette for your home involves understanding color theory, which explores how colors interact, contrast, and influence emotions. Colors should complement to create a pleasing aesthetic. Color can significantly impact mood, set the atmosphere, and affect how people perceive a space. Lighter colors often evoke calmness, while darker shades can add personality and charm. However, bold colors may overwhelm and prove challenging to integrate across an entire home.
According to Opendoor’s 2023 Home Decor Report, mid-tone grays and beiges are popular choices among homeowners (38%), followed closely by other light and airy hues (37%), with deeper shades less commonly selected (13%). While neutrals can provide a serene backdrop, achieving depth and interest requires balancing these tones effectively. The key lies in understanding how to proportion and combine colors to achieve a balanced and visually appealing home environment.
Choosing The Right Ratio: The 60-30-10 Rule
- A widely popular design principle is the classic 60-30-10 ratio, which ensures a well-balanced and visually appealing color palette. Approximately 60% of the space should be covered in the primary color, while the secondary color should occupy 30%, leaving the remaining 10% for accent colors.
Primary Color (60%)
- This sets the foundational tone of the space, covering large areas like walls, floors, major furniture pieces, or architectural elements.
Secondary Color (30%)
- Complementing the primary color adds depth and variation to the scheme. Typically used for upholstery, curtains, rugs, and smaller furniture items, it should harmonize with the primary color either through similarity or contrast.
Accent Color (10%)
- These are sparingly used to create focal points and visual interest. Often found in accessories, throw pillows, artwork, or decor items, accent colors provide contrast to the dominant colors, adding vibrancy and charm to the space.
For example, in a nature-inspired palette, you might use a cream base, brown as the secondary color, and a cool green accent for a refreshing contrast.
How Many Colors Should You Choose?
Choosing the right number of colors for your space can greatly impact its feel. Too many colors can create chaos, while too few can result in a dull environment. Experts typically recommend incorporating a mix of dominant, secondary, and accent colors in your color palette. Most designers suggest selecting three to five colors for a cohesive home color scheme. You can apply these colors across different rooms using the 60-30-10 rule, treating your entire home as one space.
Alternatively, if you prefer a simpler approach, the 80-20 rule works well with two colors: 80% of the room in neutrals and 20% in the accent color. Variations in shades of the same color can add depth and interest. Rooms naturally serve different purposes, so using shades from a common palette can create a flow without being monotonous. Ultimately, your choices should reflect your style and the overall design concept you wish to achieve.
To keep up with the latest interior design trends, consult House and Harmony. We offer interior design services in San Diego and Carlsbad, California. We have fifteen years of industry experience and hundreds of happy clients. It proves our excellent interior home design services. We offer turnkey solutions and take care of all components of an interior home design project. For more information, call us at (858) 432-6800 or visit our website. See all the interior design services we offer in San Diego and surrounding areas.
