3 Surprising Ways to Add Color to Your Space

Adding color to your space can be a lot of fun. There are many people out there who love color, yet they are afraid to use it in their living space. There are some very simple principles to follow when adding color to your space, and if you follow them you are almost guaranteed not to overdo it.

The 60-30-10 Rule

The 60-30-10 rule is one of the most basic principles of home decor, and it works as follows.

Sixty percent of a dominant color creates cohesion in the room, unifying all the other colors.

Thirty percent of a secondary color helps to break up the space and draws the eye to other accents.

Ten percent of an accent color livens things up a bit. This is where bold choices can be made, as they will compliment your other colors.

First select your color scheme. You can do this by looking at a color wheel and selecting complimentary colors that go well together, yet give you a nice contrast. For the 10% accent color, find something that goes well with your scheme; choose a color that is bright and bold enough to draw the eye to the color in the room.

Add Some Black

Adding at least one piece of black furniture to a brightly colored room will enhance the colors in the room and make them stand out. It can be a book shelf, a table, a chest – basically any type of furniture. As long as it is black it will clarify the colors of the room and make the brighter colors pop.

Pick a Pattern

Find your favorite color from a piece of abstract wall art, an oriental rug or a throw blanket and match other items in the room to that color. These can be the less noticeable colors that you want to draw in rather than the overall colors that are much more assertive. Apply the 60-30-10 room to the 3 main colors in the artwork or rug to give the entire room a colorful balance that is much more pleasing to the eye than an assortment of patterns.

Other Considerations

-Tying colors together from room to room by using the same color in an adjoining space in a different formula. If it is 60% percent in one room, use it as your 30% in the next room.

-High contrast colors appear neater and cleaner. There are multitudes of color combinations that can achieve this such as black and white, deep red and gold, black and cream, or pale yellow and deep green.

-Take note of the natural lighting in the room before committing to colors. If it is a room that does not receive a lot of natural light you will want to use lighter colors that will make the most of what you have. If you have a good bit of natural light, don't be afraid of the darker colors.

-Be bold with your color choices. Sometimes it doesn't seem likely that certain colors will go together until you actually put them together. Try placing color samples in the room and leave them there for a few days to make sure you will be able to live with them long term. Another great option is to use the colors in a favorite artwork, such as an abstract metal wall decor or traditional work of art, to build a color palette; this is a nearly a foolproof way to create a palette that you will love.