Color is an international visual language, colors affect us in numerous ways, both mentally and physically. Being able to use colors consciously and harmoniously can help you create spectacular results. In order to use it wisely and effectively, you need to understand how colors behave, how they change their character and how they influence our mood.
All colors change their character when lightness and saturation are modified. Light colors are airy and they make rooms feel brighter and larger. Dark colors are sophisticated and warm and they make rooms feel intimate.
When you walk into any space, the way your eye translates color and color combinations can affect how you interpret the style, mood, and overall comfort level. Interior designer use color theory as a foundation to achieve their design goals.
Color theory is the science behind how we interpret the colors we see, and how we respond to specific color combinations and proportions. Interior designers use color wheel as a framework for their color schemes and room designs.
The Color Wheel
Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then, scientists and artists have studied and designed numerous variations of this concept. Colors are divided into three groups:
The primary colors are red, yellow and blue. They are the three pigment colors that cannot be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these three hues.
The three secondary colors are green, orange and purple. They are created by mixing two primary colors.
The six tertiary colors are yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and yellow-green, they are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color. That's why the hue is a two word name.
A monochromatic color scheme is created when you use a single color and add white, black, or gray to it to create various hues.
If a color is made lighter by adding white, the result is called a Tint.
If black is added, the darker version is called a Shade.
If gray is added, the result is a different Tone.
Color Harmony
In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eyes. To the viewer, it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. The human brain will reject under-stimulating information, and it also rejects what it cannot organize or understand. The visual task requires that we present a logical structure. Color Harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order. In summary, extreme unity leads to under-stimulation, extreme complexity leads to over-stimulation. Harmony is a dynamic equilibrium.
Some basic formulas for Color Harmony
- A color scheme based on complementary colors. (any two colors which are directly opposite each other, these opposing colors create maximum contrast and maximum stability)
- A color scheme based on nature.
- A color scheme based on analogous colors. (any three colors which are side by side on a twelve part color wheel)
Warm and Cool Colors
Warm colors are made with orange, red, yellow, pink, and combinations of these and similar colors. They are correlated with sunlight and heat. Visually warm colors look as though they come closer, these colors are often used to make large rooms seem cozier. Warm colors are associated with passion, joy, and can be stimulating, great for living rooms, dinning rooms, and kitchens where a lot of activities carrying out everyday. I call these the social rooms.
Cool colors are blue, green, neutrals white, gray, and light purple are examples. They have the ability to calm and soothe. They usually remind people of the sky. Cool colors look as though they recede, making them great for small rooms to appear larger. Cool colors make you feel calm and relaxed, great for bedrooms and baths, places where we relax. I call these the private rooms.
Black and White
Both black and white do not count as proper colors, as black is all colors and white is the absence of colors. They do have warm and cool properties. Black is warm and white is cool.
Neutral Colors
Neutral colors are hue that doesn't compete with other colors. The pure neutral colors include black, white, all grays while near neutrals include browns, tans and darker colors. They are also known as earth tones.
Neutral colors help to put the focus on other colors or serve to tone down colors that might otherwise be overpowering on their own.
Neutral colors are by definition unsaturated, allowing them to serve as the relaxing background to a space.
© 2017 Alexander CW Hung
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