How to Build a Color Palette For Your Lovely Home 

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Understanding how to build a color palette for your home should be a top priority when constructing or renovating. The hues greatly influence the household’s ambience and overall look. Since you’re waking up to the sight of it almost every morning, it’s important to make it a space you’ll love to see.

Know the Golden Ratio

Web designers follow a 60-30-10 rule when creating a user interface. Essentially, about 60% should be the dominant color as the base. Around 30% goes to the secondary hue for variety, and 10% goes to the accents. This theory is handy tse it as a template when building a color palette for a property.

Homeowners need to think about their dominant color. Their choice will mostly cover the wall paint and any murals they’ll add. The furniture, cushions, and pillows can cover the secondary hue. From there, decor can act as accents to the rest of the interior design. 

Following the 60-30-10 rule doesn’t mean you should limit yourself to three options in your interior design. Just remember the principle of having base colors with supporting hues and accents. You can pick multiple shades for the secondary and tertiary colors.

Understand the Color Wheel

The color wheel is a great way to examine hues and determine how they interact. Colors opposite each other, like red and green or blue and yellow, are complementary since they make each other stand out.

If you want a more monochromatic palette, you should take a more analogous approach. This option entails picking three hues beside one another on the color wheel. For instance, blue, indigo, and purple are all close to one another since they come from the same color family.

Think of an Interior Design Style

Another tip on how to build a color palette is to check out interior design styles and see what appeals to you. Most trends have their own distinctive staples. Minimalist design is defined by white and neutral hues while maximalists entails pops of color. 

Some subcategories explore specific colors more deeply. For instance, dark academia uses black, grey, and other muted hues for a touch of elegance. Biophilic design utilizes green, brown, and blue to represent nature.

Look for Visual Inspiration

Sometimes, you only see what color appeals to you if you’ve seen it in action. The internet has so much media for you to browse. Check out platforms like Instagram and Pinterest to see people’s pictures and what appeals to you.

Homeowners can take a screenshot of their favorite ones and save it as a reference. You can also organize the photos to see similarities and differences between different pieces. Try to pinpoint what you think would go well in your home.

Narrow Down Your Preferences

Creating a color palette can actually stem from your favorite hue. Since you will apply it to each corner of the home, you need to consider your preferences. This step helps you avoid pigments you’ll regret.

It’s understandable to have fluctuating favorites or to have none at all. So many factors can influence one’s color preference in the long run. If red or blue is tied to a sad memory, it’s natural to steer clear of it. 

Pick Out Your Tones

Another consideration when building a color palette is to know your tones. You need to pick warm or cool color schemes for your palette. Choosing different ones can cause a subtle clash that throws off the rest of the space’s look. 

It’s a common misconception that warm colors are limited to reds and oranges, while cool colors are blues and greens. Each color has its own set of warm and cool colors. Ultramarine and navy blue are relatively warmer compared to cerulean and light cobalt.

Choose Your Shades

Homeowners must also decide on the ideal shades for their design palette. Contrary to color temperature in tone, this concept touches the lightness and darkness of a hue. Each hue has its own spectrum, adjusted by how much black or white pigment it has.

The lighter a color seems, the more white it has. The dimmer a hue is, the more black it contains. A monochromatic color palette with various shades of green can play on various shades, from bright apple green to dark forest green.

Check What You Currently Have

Most people assume they have to buy new items to accommodate a color palette. However, it’s more cost-effective to assess their possessions and use them as a base for the rest of their interior design.

For example, you’ll bring an orange couch from your last place. Position some green plants in the background to let the furniture pop out. You can also make the seats stand out by painting the walls sage.

Think About the Overall Ambience

Psychology is essential when assessing how to build a color palette. Red, orange and yellow can spark energy and happiness while blue, green and purple invoke a sense of calm. Homes are a place of rest, so most people may gravitate toward soothing colors.

It is key to note that more research is needed to confirm color psychology and its impact upon exposure. After all, some people will react differently to hues depending on their personal preferences. Use their coordinating emotions as a reference point only. 

Consider the Room and Lighting

Blue is good for the bedroom, which is coded as a more restful area. Vibrant hues may benefit social spaces like the living room.

Lighting is also a key factor. Depending on how white or warm your fixtures are, the colors may translate differently than how they look in the store. Request a sample and test it out under various lights to confirm whether you like a hue or not. 

Build the Ideal Color Palette

Figuring out how to build a color palette is more challenging than it seems. With enough patience and instinct, you can certainly narrow down the combinations that speak to you. Take your time figuring out what tint you want your home to have.