You just rented or purchased your first home and are ready to move, but where to start with furnishings, decor, lighting, artwork, and most importantly, wall colors?
Furnishing a first home can be overwhelming and expensive, but of all the elements that comprise your new home, color is the least expensive and provides the greatest impact.
As I discussed in a previous article, upon purchase, the wall color is most likely some shade of off-white, and the floor a neutral shade of tan or brown. Alternatively, if you are moving into a fixer-upper or an older home, you may be inheriting someone else's color and design choices. In either case, before proceeding, it’s always a good idea to go on Pinterest or TikTok for inspiration.
When moving into your first home, friends or family members may want to gift you new or used furniture that may not be your ideal aesthetic. This presents a moment of truth: Would you rather sit on the floor or would you rather lounge on a bright floral couch that might not be your taste? These decisions likely occur prior to establishing a color scheme. Just remember that upholstered furniture can be slip-covered or reupholstered and wood furniture can be painted.
A word of caution, however, no matter how luxurious or immediately available a piece of furniture may be, if you are not sure about the color or tone, do not build your color scheme around it, for you will always be unhappy. A good way to experiment with color schemes is to accept gifted or even found furniture to see how it feels.
Monochromatic Schemes
The simplest and perhaps most foolproof color scheme is monochromatic, utilizing variations of a single color. While this approach may sound simple, it can prove challenging to work with just one color, no matter how many different shades are available. Monochromatic schemes do not have to be monotonous or boring! Remember, even the White House features three monochromatic rooms: the Red Room, the Blue Room, and the Green Room, which are far from simple or stale.
The 60-30-10 Rule
One popular approach for determining your color scheme is the 60-30-10 rule. It may be hard to believe, but decorating and math are compatible! This equation establishes a major color as dominant, or 60 percent of a space, whether a room or an entire house. Going all in with a bold color as your 60 percent takes courage, but if orange or turquoise makes you happy, why not paint the walls and ceiling in this color? Live with your decision for a few days; it can always be repainted.
The next color, or the 30 percent in this scheme, is the secondary color or texture. If the dominant color is very bright, the secondary color may be more subdued. Remember, the secondary color will support the main color, bringing some contrast into your scheme.
Finally, the 10 percent color is the accent color, which gives the space some pizzazz or character. Here is where you should be really fearless, as only a small portion of this color will be used.
Picking Colors Based On Your Closet
Still not sure where to begin selecting colors for your home? Why not start with your closet? The colors that you gravitate toward in apparel, the shades that people compliment when you wear them, are very possibly good colors with which to surround yourself. One's skin tone, hair and eye color will designate whether you are labeled winter, spring, summer or autumn.
Winter looks best in bold cool colors with blue or pink undertones, while spring shines in bright clear colors like peach, turquoise and bright coral. Soft, muted colors like lavender, powder blue, or dusty rose are ideal for summer. And autumn, no surprise, is at its best in deep reds, golden yellows and earthy browns. If you feel at your best wearing certain colors, why not decide to live with the same colors in your home?
Room Exposure
The exposure of each room, whether north, south, east or west, can also provide inspiration and guidance for a color scheme. All color is light, and as light changes throughout the day, so does color. Overriding hourly or seasonal lighting changes is the exposure or multiple exposures of a room.
Light in north-facing rooms is typically consistent, but can be muted and cool. There are two options for north-facing rooms: cool light is ideal for darker colors or utilize lighter colors with warm undertones, such as those with a yellow cast or peachy pinks.
South-facing rooms are brilliantly lit, ideal for blues, greens and violets that will cool off the color temperature. More intense, deep colors also shine and will not look washed out in a south-facing room.
The sun rises in the east, so a warmer, brighter light color works best. Starting the day in a room with eastern exposure and a pastel or soft color can be inspiring.
Rooms with western exposure, where the sun sets, are perfect for darker, cooler colors. A neutral shade with cool or warm undertones will also work well.
The Properties of Color
Once you have settled on your color scheme, it is crucial that you pay attention to a few properties of color, such as the intensity or hue of the color you are using and the lightness or tint of a color you have selected. A shade of a color is a color that is darker than its original hue, as a result of adding black to it. Adding white to a color increases its lightness, making it a tint.
By experimenting with paint, starting with the three primary colors red, blue and yellow, you can refine the colors you work with by adding black or white. Depending on your skill set and willingness to experiment, a minimal investment of five tubes of acrylic paint can be both illuminating and entertaining.
By mixing the paints, adding white and black, it is possible to comprise your color scheme on paper, which can be helpful when shopping for furnishings and fabric. Color saturation refers to the intensity or vibrancy of a color. If all the colors you use are highly saturated, the result will be an active, emotionally uplifting room, such as a space used for entertaining.
Make Your Home Yours
There are no good or bad colors, so experiment with a carefree attitude and see what you discover. Color, like room temperature or sense of smell and taste, is extremely personal. If you love a color, go ahead and use it, without seeking the approval of others.
Color is the fastest way to put your personal signature on a space. Maybe even stroll through a museum, observe art that speaks to you, and then visit the museum gift shop for copies of your favorite art pieces. The composition and color placement in the artwork can be a point of departure from your color scheme. Most importantly, believe in your color choices, for they will make your home yours and yours alone.
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