Decorating
How to Create a Cohesive Colour Flow Throughout Your Home
Designers share techniques for avoiding a disjointed feeling
Colour preferences vary as much as personalities. Some people love the bright and the bold, while others feel most secure surrounded by neutrals. The good news is that, when it comes to colour, there really is no “correct” palette.
That said, we’ve all been inside homes where an explosion of colour created a choppy feel between rooms – and sometimes, the urge to run. A great way to avoid this is to hire a designer or colour consultant, either to guide your entire renovating or decorating project or simply to advise you on the best colours for your spaces. We asked pros to share their tips for creating a cohesive flow of colour throughout a home. Read on to find out what they said.
That said, we’ve all been inside homes where an explosion of colour created a choppy feel between rooms – and sometimes, the urge to run. A great way to avoid this is to hire a designer or colour consultant, either to guide your entire renovating or decorating project or simply to advise you on the best colours for your spaces. We asked pros to share their tips for creating a cohesive flow of colour throughout a home. Read on to find out what they said.
Pay attention to sightlines
San Francisco interior designer and colour expert Jennifer Ott frequently works with clients who want more variety in their wall colours. When that’s the case, she suggests considering sightlines.
When you’re standing in the living room, which other rooms will you see? If you have a view into the kitchen, the dining room and the hallway, then the colours for those spaces need to work well together. “It can start to look wacky if you have a different colour scheme in each room,” Jennifer says.
Find an interior designer near you.
San Francisco interior designer and colour expert Jennifer Ott frequently works with clients who want more variety in their wall colours. When that’s the case, she suggests considering sightlines.
When you’re standing in the living room, which other rooms will you see? If you have a view into the kitchen, the dining room and the hallway, then the colours for those spaces need to work well together. “It can start to look wacky if you have a different colour scheme in each room,” Jennifer says.
Find an interior designer near you.
Choose colour groups
One way to increase the likelihood that a colour scheme flows from room to room is to limit yourself to colours in the same temperature family. “Some people will stick to a warm colour palette – reds, oranges and yellows – or a cool scheme – greys, greens and blues,” Jennifer says.
One way to increase the likelihood that a colour scheme flows from room to room is to limit yourself to colours in the same temperature family. “Some people will stick to a warm colour palette – reds, oranges and yellows – or a cool scheme – greys, greens and blues,” Jennifer says.
Another option, Jennifer continues, is to select one or two colours and then use variations of it. If the main colour is blue, you might select a grey-blue, a pure blue and a navy paint as you move from room to room. The same concept can be used for decorative accessories.
For wall paint, you can ask the paint shop to create a “tint” of a particular colour, perhaps knocking down the main colour by 50%, which the mixer will do by adding white. “They can create a lighter or darker version of it,” Jennifer says. “That’s a good way to unite [spaces] without putting the same colour everywhere.”
“I tell people if they’re going to do their wall in this colour, go two or three shades lighter for the ceiling, so it doesn’t look like a sore thumb because you painted it white,” says Keith Wardlaw of Plus Modern Design in Missouri.
Paint decks can also be a good inspiration source for finding colours that work well together.
For wall paint, you can ask the paint shop to create a “tint” of a particular colour, perhaps knocking down the main colour by 50%, which the mixer will do by adding white. “They can create a lighter or darker version of it,” Jennifer says. “That’s a good way to unite [spaces] without putting the same colour everywhere.”
“I tell people if they’re going to do their wall in this colour, go two or three shades lighter for the ceiling, so it doesn’t look like a sore thumb because you painted it white,” says Keith Wardlaw of Plus Modern Design in Missouri.
Paint decks can also be a good inspiration source for finding colours that work well together.
Restrict the edgiest colours to enclosed rooms
Rooms out of the sightline of other rooms are good places for going wild. Main bedrooms, cloakrooms, kids rooms and any other enclosed spaces are great places to indulge, says Carl Mattison, an Atlanta-based designer.
“If you turn the corner and go into a little [cloakroom], which you don’t go in all the time, who cares? Paint it black!” It works, Carl says, “because it’s its own little box.”
Rooms out of the sightline of other rooms are good places for going wild. Main bedrooms, cloakrooms, kids rooms and any other enclosed spaces are great places to indulge, says Carl Mattison, an Atlanta-based designer.
“If you turn the corner and go into a little [cloakroom], which you don’t go in all the time, who cares? Paint it black!” It works, Carl says, “because it’s its own little box.”
For bold colours, use accessories
Accessories are a less expensive way to introduce dramatic colours than purchasing a sofa or rug in the same tone, and they’re also easier to change should you tire of a colour.
Limiting bold colours to accessories also helps you to avoid the shocking effect that can happen when a dramatic shade is painted on all four walls. “The key is finding a way to inject the colour that makes rooms interesting and exciting without feeling as if you need to escape,” Jennifer says. Bright colour is good when you want to highlight a piece worthy of notice.
Accessories are a less expensive way to introduce dramatic colours than purchasing a sofa or rug in the same tone, and they’re also easier to change should you tire of a colour.
Limiting bold colours to accessories also helps you to avoid the shocking effect that can happen when a dramatic shade is painted on all four walls. “The key is finding a way to inject the colour that makes rooms interesting and exciting without feeling as if you need to escape,” Jennifer says. Bright colour is good when you want to highlight a piece worthy of notice.
Tie rooms together with accents
Accent colours can change from room to room, but continuing one consistent colour throughout the home can help create a sense of continuity.
“Let’s say you have green and blue in your living room,” Kelly says. “Perhaps for the dining room, you use one of those two colours, maybe just the blue. Or you could do blue and yellow. So the blue is what will tie those rooms together.”
Accent colours can change from room to room, but continuing one consistent colour throughout the home can help create a sense of continuity.
“Let’s say you have green and blue in your living room,” Kelly says. “Perhaps for the dining room, you use one of those two colours, maybe just the blue. Or you could do blue and yellow. So the blue is what will tie those rooms together.”
The two rooms pictured in this photo and the previous one are from the same home and illustrate this principle. In the first photo, green and blue are the main accent colours against white wall; in this photo, the blue and green carry through to this family room. The effect is cohesive but not repetitious.
Apply the 60-30-10 formula
Another way to create a cohesive flow from room to room is to think of the palette for your home as a maths problem. “Use a base colour you really like as 60% to 70% of what you’re going to paint for your interior,” Keith says. “Your next colour needs to be 25% to 30%. Then you can do your accents of 5% to 10%.”
In this photo, which shows one of Keith’s designs, grey is the 60% colour, blue the 25%, orange about 10% and brown maybe another 5%. “I really try to make people only go with about three colours, four max,” he says. “Otherwise, it just feels chaotic.”
To pull the colours throughout the home, you might use a variation on the scheme in an adjacent dining room. The walls might be painted blue, and perhaps grey could be used as an accent, with a few small orange accessories providing the 10% dose of colour. “As long as you keep it cohesive throughout your entire home, it’s going to make more sense,” Keith says.
Another way to create a cohesive flow from room to room is to think of the palette for your home as a maths problem. “Use a base colour you really like as 60% to 70% of what you’re going to paint for your interior,” Keith says. “Your next colour needs to be 25% to 30%. Then you can do your accents of 5% to 10%.”
In this photo, which shows one of Keith’s designs, grey is the 60% colour, blue the 25%, orange about 10% and brown maybe another 5%. “I really try to make people only go with about three colours, four max,” he says. “Otherwise, it just feels chaotic.”
To pull the colours throughout the home, you might use a variation on the scheme in an adjacent dining room. The walls might be painted blue, and perhaps grey could be used as an accent, with a few small orange accessories providing the 10% dose of colour. “As long as you keep it cohesive throughout your entire home, it’s going to make more sense,” Keith says.
Consider using colour-planning tools
Those who love delving deeper into design principles may want to read up a bit on colour theory – or at least ask your interior designer about it. “One of the main things I explain to my clients is the colour wheel,” Keith says. “To keep that cohesive feel throughout your home, one of the main things you can do is consult that.”
A basic rule of thumb is that using analogous (or adjacent) colours on the wheel will create less contrast and a more calm feel, while choosing complementary colours (across from one another on the wheel) will create greater contrast and a higher-energy room. Understanding the relationships between colours will help you see why certain combinations have certain effects on you.
Those who love delving deeper into design principles may want to read up a bit on colour theory – or at least ask your interior designer about it. “One of the main things I explain to my clients is the colour wheel,” Keith says. “To keep that cohesive feel throughout your home, one of the main things you can do is consult that.”
A basic rule of thumb is that using analogous (or adjacent) colours on the wheel will create less contrast and a more calm feel, while choosing complementary colours (across from one another on the wheel) will create greater contrast and a higher-energy room. Understanding the relationships between colours will help you see why certain combinations have certain effects on you.
For a well-designed look, hire an expert
Designers have studied colour and can offer invaluable guidance when you’re decorating or renovating. You can hire one to take your project from start to finish, or simply as a consultant to troubleshoot a specific area, such as tweaking your home’s palette so the colours flow well throughout your home.
Kelly, who does a lot of colour consultations, says her clients tend to know what colour they want to use, but need validation that the shade they’re considering will produce the desired effect. She did a long-distance consultation with a client who passionately loves orange. “The colours she was telling me about were very bright and childlike,” Kelly says. The designer suggested a more adult rusty orange instead. “She tried it and loved it!” she says.
Tell us…
Have you achieved a great colour flow in your home? What tricks did you or your designer use? Let us know in the Comments.
Designers have studied colour and can offer invaluable guidance when you’re decorating or renovating. You can hire one to take your project from start to finish, or simply as a consultant to troubleshoot a specific area, such as tweaking your home’s palette so the colours flow well throughout your home.
Kelly, who does a lot of colour consultations, says her clients tend to know what colour they want to use, but need validation that the shade they’re considering will produce the desired effect. She did a long-distance consultation with a client who passionately loves orange. “The colours she was telling me about were very bright and childlike,” Kelly says. The designer suggested a more adult rusty orange instead. “She tried it and loved it!” she says.
Tell us…
Have you achieved a great colour flow in your home? What tricks did you or your designer use? Let us know in the Comments.
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One simple way to create a cohesive feel is to use a consistent paint colour on the walls of connecting spaces. “Particularly in homes that are open-plan, it’s best to choose one colour that’s going to serve as your main colour or your neutral,” says Kelly Porter, an interior designer based in Washington, DC.
“That doesn’t mean it has to be beige or white or grey. But the foyer, hallways and that main connector room should all be the same colour, because you want to have that dominant colour in your space.”