Why Color Matters in Interior Design

Color is far more than just a visual element in your living space. It’s a powerful tool that can create specific moods and emotions, communicate your personality, control the perception and feeling of a space, and guide attention to specific architectural features.

Different colors evoke different emotional responses. Soft blues can create a relaxing atmosphere, while vibrant yellows can generate energy. Dark colors can make a space feel warm and cozy, and bright colors can make a room feel spacious and airy.

Three Professional Designer Secrets for Color Selection

Professional designers rely on three key inspiration sources to develop color palettes. These sources provide a foolproof method for selecting colors that work harmoniously together.

1. Fabrics

Choose a fabric—whether in draperies, upholstery, pillows, or lampshades—as your color palette foundation. These textiles are professionally designed with careful color theory considerations, making them an excellent starting point for your room’s color scheme.

2. Rugs

A beautiful rug can serve as the perfect color palette generator. By selecting colors already present in the rug, you create a harmonious design without the guesswork. Designers often use rugs as a primary source of color inspiration, pulling out multiple hues to create a cohesive look.

3. Artwork

Use a beloved piece of art as your color inspiration. Extract colors from the artwork and strategically incorporate them throughout the room. This approach allows you to create a deeply personal and visually interesting space that reflects your unique taste.

The 60-30-10 Design Principle

This principle helps create balanced and visually appealing color schemes. The concept is simple: your room should consist of 60% of a dominant color, typically your wall color or main background shade. The secondary color should occupy 30% of the space, often found in furniture or larger accent pieces. The final 10% is reserved for bold, complementary accent colors that add visual interest and depth to the room.

The key is to use accent colors intentionally and ensure they appear in multiple places throughout the space. This creates a sense of thoughtful design and prevents the accents from feeling random or out of place.

Important Color Palette Considerations

Lighting Matters

Your room’s lighting dramatically affects color perception. Spaces with abundant natural light allow for more diverse color choices, while rooms with minimal natural light require more careful color selection. If you’re working with a darker color scheme in a room with limited light, you’ll need to supplement with strategic artificial lighting to create the desired mood and prevent the space from feeling too dark or closed in.

Incorporating Trending Colors

Trending colors can be a fun way to update your space without a complete overhaul. The best approach is to use these colors in the 10% accent portion of your palette. This allows for easy updates and minimal commitment. You can experiment with trendy hues through small pieces like throw pillows, artwork, or decorative objects that can be easily replaced when the trend passes.

Room-to-Room Color Strategy

Not every room in your home needs identical color palettes. In fact, varying your color schemes can create more visual interest and prevent your home from feeling flat or monotonous. Create cohesion by maintaining some color overlap between rooms.

A good strategy is to pull a 30% color through multiple spaces while changing the dominant and accent colors.

Don’t Forget Fixed Elements

It’s crucial to include fixed elements in your color palette. Floors, fireplaces, and built-in features can significantly impact your overall color harmony. For example, if you have gray floors, you’ll want to carefully consider how other colors will interact with this neutral base. A yellow color scheme might clash with gray floors, so you’d need to adjust your palette accordingly.

Your Color Palette Challenge

Here’s a simple challenge to help you apply these principles: Choose one room in your home, select an inspiration piece (fabric, rug, or artwork), extract colors from your inspiration, apply the 60-30-10 principle, and consider lighting and fixed elements.

Remember: Color isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about creating a space that feels like home. By understanding these design principles, you can confidently create rooms that not only look beautiful but also feel deeply personal and intentional.