A color lesson

What say we go back to basics? Let's examine colors and how to combine them.

Primary colors are red, blue and yellow, as we learned in grade school. Secondary colors are made by mixing two of the three primary colors. That is how we get orange, green and purple.

A complementary color scheme uses colors that are directly across from each other on the color wheel. Red is across from green, so those are complementary. But did you know that pink, a lightened version of red, also works great with green, particularly dark green? Blue is directly across from orange. Here again, peach, a lightened orange, works nicely with blue. Purple and yellow are complementary and so are lavender and yellow.

Now take those same primary colors and mix them with secondary colors, and you have tertiary colors.

If you are considering a monochromatic color scheme, you'll use a single color in most every room surface. That sounds almost boring, but it's not. A monochromatic color scheme incorporates many shades and tints of one color and is usually accompanied by some neutral color. Blue, with many varieties of depths, pairs nicely with white. Patterns come into play when mixing the blue and the white in area rugs or upholstery. One of the beauties of a monochromatic color scheme is its serenity and seeming melodious feel.

Another thing to consider when choosing a color scheme is how the colors express themselves. A red pillow on a blue couch looks good. Take that same red pillow and put it on a white couch, and it creates a good yet very different look.

Have you ever had difficulty reading print on a colored background? Black print against a white background is easiest to read. That same black print against a blue background isn't so easy to read. The same goes for color-scheme combinations. Sometimes the colors pop brilliantly against another color, and sometimes the same colors don't pop so much against a different colored background. Test and see what works for you. A lot has to do with whether you want a bold or subtle look.

Now that you've reviewed the basics, it's time for you to figure out what you like and what makes you feel comfortable in the color world. Asking yourself some simple questions might be helpful. Do you like the colors in nature? If so, do you prefer the bold and bright colors that you see in the flowers or are the subtle, earth tones better for your lifestyle? Is an all-neutral color scheme relaxing to you or is it boring?

You have homework to do. Get to it.

