Note your emotional response to different colors.
A color scheme can set the mood of a space and reflect your personality if you rely on your instincts to create it. The process of making a color scheme is similar to the process of buying a work of art or an article of clothing. In all cases, you make a decision based on your visual preferences. You may find yourself drawn to vibrant, contrasting colors, or neutral, earthy colors. Colors have psychological effects and can alter your mood, so it's important to choose those that not only suit the space you're designing, but also suit you.
Instructions
1. Walk around your home and study the colors you surround yourself with. Pay close attention to large pieces of furniture and rugs, as you may want to base your color scheme on items you already have. Make note of which colors appear most often in your collection of clothing and decorations.
2. Flip through a book or magazine to find appealing color combinations.
Look at a favorite art book or magazine and write down the main colors in the images that attract you. If you have a decorating magazine, flip through it for inspirational color schemes. Chances are, if you like the way colors look alongside one another in a picture, you will also like how they look in your home.
3. Consider why you're attracted to the colors you selected. Ask yourself how they make you feel. Make sure that the moods and emotions you associate with the colors are the same moods and emotions you wish to associate with your home.
4. Gauge how your friends and family will react to your colors by considering color theory. According to color theorist Leatrice Eiseman, bright reds, yellows and blues trigger warm and joyful moods, and hazy blues, greens and purples create tranquil environments. Hot colors, such as reds, oranges and yellows, will make a space feel livelier and appear larger than cold colors, such as blues and greens.
5. Look at a color wheel and locate the position of your preferred colors. The distance between colors on the wheel will determine whether your scheme is contrasting, analogous or monochromatic.
6. Figure out the type of scheme you are drawn to. If two of your colors sit roughly opposite one another on the color wheel, you have selected a contrasting, energetic scheme. If your colors are analogous, on the same side of the wheel, the scheme can appear either calm or active depending on their brightness. If you prefer just one tone, your scheme will be monochromatic, made up of different shades of one color.
7. Find and extract your selected colors from your color swatch book. Place the swatches next to each other to make sure you're satisfied with your color scheme.
8. Experiment with different combinations within your color scheme. See which color works best as a main color and which colors are better suited as secondary or accent colors.
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