Colour Theory for Your Home

Colour is EVERYTHING — it can completely make or break a space. That’s why understanding how colour affects mood, lighting, and the overall vibe of your home is so important.

In the simplest terms, colour theory is the art and science behind how colours interact with one another.

And the colour wheel? It’s your new best friend!

The colour wheel typically features the three primary colours (red, blue, yellow) and six secondary colours (green, orange, purple). Mixing these gives you endless possibilities!

Now that we have the basics down, let’s dive into some important colour vocabulary:

Key Words in Colour Vocabulary:

• Hue: What most people mean when they say “colour.”

• Tint: A hue + white (makes it lighter).

• Shade: A hue + black (makes it darker).

• Value: How light or dark a colour is.

• Saturation: How bright or dull a colour appears.

It can be tricky to visualize these just through words, so if you’re a visual learner, Google is your friend! Another great tool is a visual colour wheel — it can help you better understand how to work with undertones and whether you’re aiming for a cool or warm-toned space.

Pro Tip: Make “Aesthetic Boards”!

I love creating aesthetic boards — and Pinterest is my go-to.

When making your board, don’t focus on matching the photos perfectly, focus on matching the tones. Think of it like putting all your pictures through the same filter! The consistency of tones will help you see your vision more clearly.

Colour Temperature: Warm vs. Cool

The colour wheel naturally splits colours into warm and cool categories:

• Warm Colours: Reds, oranges, yellows

• Cool Colours: Blues, greens, purples

The undertone of a colour determines if it feels warm or cool.

It’s all about the percentages when mixing colours: whichever colour is dominant will drive the undertone.

Example:

When repainting our main floor, we wanted a cool-toned sage green to complement our grey trim. The first samples we picked looked way too yellow once on the wall — even though they seemed fine in the store!

(Thanks to the wrong undertone!)

So, back to the paint aisle we went — this time choosing a true cool-toned green.

Lesson: Always consider tone first before anything else when picking paint.

Making Colours Cohesive

This is where the colour wheel comes to the rescue again!

Here are a few tried-and-true colour harmony strategies:

• Complementary: Combine colours opposite each other on the wheel (e.g., blue and orange).

• Triadic: Use three colours evenly spaced around the wheel.

• Analogous: Use three neighbouring colours on the wheel.

• Monochromatic: Stick to one colour, but use different shades, hues, and tints.

As you go about your day, practice noticing:

• Are the colours around you warm or cool?

• What kind of colour scheme is being used?

• How do certain colour combinations make you feel?

Next week, we’ll dive into how colour affects mood and the ideal placement of colours around your home!

Many Thanks,

Molls