HOW TO PAIR COLORS A PRO...

Combining colors is often a challenge for homeowners.  Which color goes nicely with brown?  How do you add color to a blue room?  The following tips will give you confidence to add the right hues to your home.

Know The Three Basic Color Schemes

• Monochromatic – colors with the same hue but different values (brown and taupe; two shades of blue)

• Analogous – colors that are next to each other on the color wheel and thus similar (green and yellow; red and purple).  Rooms can use three analogous colors for more excitement, like green, yellow, and orange.  A subtler, more sophisticated analogous combination could be yellow-green, yellow, and orange-yellow.

• Complementary – color-wheel opposites.  Complementary colors give the most contrast and are exciting to the eye (orange and blue; red and green)

Take a Cue from Mother

Mother Nature, that is!  Colors that are found together in the great outdoors are also beautiful when combined in the home.  Think of a light blue sky paired with silvery white clouds.  Or a forest with its combination of greens mixed with tree bark brown.  If it’s pleasing in nature, it’ll be sure to please you inside, as well.

Think about your garden… Green has the easygoing ability to mingle with all colors of the spectrum, which makes it a perfect choice as background for a room with colorful furniture



Look to Your Closet

Think about the color combinations you enjoy wearing.  What accent colors do you add to your outfits?  Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, says, "If you look and feel good with those colors on, you'll like them around you.”

This regal shade of green adds showstopping drama to both runway and home.

When adding new color to your home, remember to stay classic with your largest, most expensive pieces.  That way, when you choose to make any changes, you just need to switch small accessories and other inexpensive items.  Easy!