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I love color! I really do.
It’s easy to get carried away with it, if not careful. I enjoy vibrant hues but also muted earth
tones. Every color has it’s place. When
it comes to choosing your color palette, the rug really should be your
guide. You don’t want everything in the
space to be perfectly matched, but everything should work together to create a
visually pleasing palette. There are a
few ways to accomplish this:
1.
Pull the wall color directly from your rug. Choose a secondary or tertiary color from the
rug to use as your wall color. You can
then pull other colors from the rug to use in your accents.
photo: PDR Interiors
If your rug has
vibrant colors in it, choose a muted version of one of those color for the
wall. Strong colors can evoke strong
emotions, and most of the time they create the opposite ambience of what you
hoped. A muted color means that it has a
gray base to it which keep the colors soothing, neutral and versatile. The bolder the shade, or more energetic the
undertone, the more wired you and your guests will feel when in the space. Most
people want a soothing, cozy environment in their home. What vibe do you want to evoke?
2.
Choose a complimentary color to those in your rug. If your rug incorporates a lot of yellow hues
(warm by nature) cool down the tone of the room by choosing a shade of blue for
your walls. The same rule above applies
here- keep the tone muted so as not to overwhelm the space with color.
photo: PDR Interiors
The color wheel is
going to be your best friend when it comes to creating a color palette that
works. I recommend purchasing a color
wheel to keep on hand that shows you complimentary color schemes.
I get asked about accent walls on a regular
basis. I am not a fan of accent
walls. To me, they represent someone
being scared to use a color so they take the “safe” route and just put color on
one wall in a room. The other problem
with accent walls is that they highlight only one wall creating tunnel vision
in the room. If you have 3 taupe walls
and one deep red, your eye will continually be drawn to the deep red wall. Most rooms don’t justify drawing attention to
only one wall. There are some instances
where drawing attention to one wall makes sense, such as a two-story great
rooms with a stacked stone fireplace.
You want everyone’s eye to go to that stacked stone, because the
fireplace is the focal point of the room.
Speaking of fireplaces, built-ins are often
used to flank a fireplace in a living or family room, and even when they aren’t
sometimes they need a little something to enhance their appearance. The one
caveat I have for accent walls is using an accent color or accent wallpaper on
the back of built-in bookcases. I love a
painted white built-in bookcase, but some rooms call for a little more pizzazz
in their shelving. An accent color
(dictated by the other colors in the room) or accent wallcovering (could be a
texture or a geometric pattern) adds a punch of personality to your space.
photo: PDR Interiors
Don’t fret if you have already chosen a wall color and are now creating a room around it. This can work, too. It may be a little more challenging, but it is possible. You can work in reverse by either choosing a rug that has your wall color in it OR choosing a rug that is complimentary in color to your walls.
Stop by next Tuesday to get advice on choosing your paint sheen...
