Color Theory for Interior Design | Beginner’s Guide to Perfect Color Palettes

Hi, my name is Janina and before we start I want to briefly introduce you to how BANAC came into being, what is the purpose of the course and to whom it is addressed. From my passion for interior design and the art of beauty but also from the pleasure of helping those around me, BANAC was born in June 2021. An Instagram profile around which a community of over 55,000 members has The purpose of this course is to present you with useful, compact information that will help you and guide you in the process of decorating your home, especially when you don't know where to start. It's information that I also needed when I went through the first renovation and design process four years ago and that I had to search for and gather. My time was limited and I was discovering day by day that information was sifted through books, websites and thick articles. At the time, it would have been helpful to have this information gathered in one place. That's how the idea of this course was born, from the desire to give others the information that I needed at the time and that I had a hard time finding. This course is primarily aimed at people who are arranging their homes for the first time and not only on their own, who do not know where to start and need guidance, but also for those who do not have the necessary resources to call on an interior designer. Secondly, it is also aimed at those who are passionate about interior design and are curious to learn more about this vast and fascinating field, whether they have already worked with an interior designer or not. After all, the course represents the basics of interior design that everyone should know. They can help you in many situations, whether you're renting or decorating your own space. It's the alphabet in design that everyone needs, so everyone is welcome. It is important to mention that this is not an interior design course that will give you the necessary certification to practice in the field, but why not? It can whet your appetite and help you find out if it's a direction to delve into in the future. If you find that the answer is yes, then I highly recommend that you take a dedicated course or maybe even a specialized university course. The profession of an interior designer cannot be taught in a few hours, as long as this course takes, but requires much more investment of time and financial resources, the information being very extensive. Having the opportunity to interact with many of you through Balna community on Instagram, I have found that there are certain topics in which there is an increased interest, but also a lack of information at the same time. Among them, I can list a few. The combination of colors, the arrangement of small space, the choice of kitchen counters, or the understanding of each individual design style. As I like to do a lot of research and verify any information, and because following my experience of the last few years at Microsoft in Austria, I have acquired the ability to simplify complex information, and I thought I would apply these strengths in this course as well. So, I have accumulated and structured exactly the information you need for the arrangement, and which I present to you in this course, in an accessible, easy to understand and applied way. Also, know that you won't find all the information on the presentation slide. For this reason, I recommend that you pay attention and take note. Make yourself comfortable, make a coffee, or pour a glass of wine, and let's get started. They help to create the desired atmosphere, that can be romantic or relaxing, or they can change the perception of space, visually enlarge a small room, or give privacy to a large room. They can even improve our lifestyle, having psychological effects, because they give us a mood. For example, they can cheer us up, sadden, relax, or energize us. The combination of color is, as in a painting, an art. If you choose the wrong combination of colors, or an inappropriate shade, you'll be spoiling the whole look of the room, and this is not easy to fix. For this reason, it is important to think twice before choosing a color. If you do not choose the right colors, even the most expensive furniture will not fix the situation, and the design will look unsatisfactory. Color is one of the most influential elements when it comes to home design, and, at the same time, the most complex and accessible way to bring life to a room. It's all about knowing the tricks when using color, and how to cleverly combine it to get the desired effect. It seems easy, but since there are so many colors and color combinations, it is quite a complex subject. The color wheel and terminology. Choosing the right color means understanding, and above all, knowing the color wheel. To define color, we use organizational systems such as the color wheel, which is one of the most useful reference tools in the interior design for understanding and choosing colors. The color wheel organizes this by hue, and is used as a reference point when determining different color relationships, such as the schemes we'll discuss in the next subsection. On the color wheel, we have three color categories, primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary colors, red, yellow, and blue. They are considered primary colors because they cannot be obtained by mixing other colors. Secondary colors, green, orange, and purple, they are formed by mixing two primary colors. For example, red combining yellow results in orange, green is obtained from yellow and blue, and purple results from the combination of red and blue. Tertiary colors are obtained by mixing a primary color with a secondary color. For example, the color amber, or so-called orange-yellow, is obtained from yellow, which is a primary color, and orange, which is a secondary color. You can see on the left a living room decorated in primary colors, red, yellow, and blue. On the right side, we have a living room in secondary colors, green, purple, and orange. The color wheel is divided into parts. For example, on the left, we have cool colors, and on the right, warm colors. Warm colors, yellow, orange, and red, with all their shades, this includes, for example, bright red and dark red, tend to diminish a room. Cool colors, green, blue, purple, with all their shades, they tend to expand the room. To give you an overall idea, you can see on the right a bedroom painted in warm colors and cool colors. Thus, the upper one painted in cool colors is less inviting than the one in warm colors. If we compare the living room in cool colors on the left with the one in warm colors on the right, we will notice that the one in warm color is more welcoming, more energetic, and warmer than the one in cool color. In addition to all the colors on the color wheel, we also have neutral colors and so-called non-colors. Brown, beige, and gray are considered neutral colors. Neutral colors are neither warm nor cool and are not shown on the color wheel as fillers. They are recommended to be used in small spaces and more. They are very easy to combine and usually match any color. They give you the feeling of calm and create the feeling of space, as you can see in the living room on the right. Black and white are considered non-colors. It is advisable to use black only as an accent at key points of the arrangement. This should be avoided in very small spaces, which is a very good background for other shades and works with all colors. The psychological effect of white is the feeling of refreshment and cleanliness in the room. Each color is perceived by the human eye through three characteristics, hue, saturation, and brightness. I will present all three to you one by one in detail in the following slides. Hue gives its color its name. It gives the main characteristic of color and correspondence to a pure color. For example, blue in the left picture and green in the right picture. We also have lightness, which describes how light or dark the color is. Let's take for example blue, which is a pure color. Pale blue is blue mixed with white. It is the lightest value of blue. Dark blue, which is blue mixed with gray or black, is the dark value of blue. But both are the same shade. Shade is a color to which black is added, becoming darker than the poor color. Shade refers to the darkness of a color. Shadows have the characteristic of making a color more gloomy. For example, brown is a shade of red. Tint, for example, is a color to which white is added and is lighter than the poor color. This is how pastels are made. For example, pink is a shade of red. Tints are more cheerful compared to shadows. We also have tone, which is obtained by mixing a color with gray, but is also used to refer to all normal colors, tints and shadows. In conclusion, colors mixed with white are called tints, those mixed with black are called shades, and those mixed with both white and black are tones. We have also the saturation, which refers to the poverty of the color. Color is more intense when nothing has been added to the poor hue. Neon colors have high intensity and pastel colors have low intensity. You can also see the difference in the saturation of the pink color here. On the left and right we have pale pink and in the middle neon pink. When looking at an object, a piece of furniture, a rug or a sofa, you need to know how to analyze the shade, intensity and brightness of the color to create a successful mood and color harmony. You've probably heard of accent color. It is a color used sparingly in the room to highlight a specific area or to bring life to the space. It is found in small proportions, for example 10% either in carpets, cushions or other decorative elements. Or you can even use the accent color to paint a wall, which becomes the center of interest in the room. In the living room on the right, you can see a pink as an accent color in the decorative pillow, and in the picture on the right, yellow as an accent color and Now that we've laid the groundwork for colors, we can also talk about color schemes that you've surely heard of. There are present color combinations on the color wheel that you can use in your home design. Let's talk about complementary colors. Complementary colors are diametrically opposite colors on the color wheel. Red with green, yellow with violet and orange blue. The contrast between them is strong and using them incorrectly can create visual discomfort. The effect obtained is intense and can turn the relaxing air of a room into an oppressive one, but it's a very attractive way to energize the space. Complementary colors are extremely dynamic together as they bring out each other's intensity. If you want to include both in your design, the secret is to use the color in the right proportion to its complement. One-fourth purple to three-fourths yellow, or one-third red to two-thirds green. It is very important not to use fifty-fifty. Combine them with some neutral colors or non-colors. Another option is to opt for a dominant color, for example blue, and let the other complementary colors act as a chromatic accent, represented by various decorative objects, small furniture items, plants, etc. In the picture on the slide you can see that these complementary colors, left orange blue and right green red, were not used in a fifty-fifty ratio, but were combined with white, black and gray to avoid overload and the result is a very successful one. Analog colors are the colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They are in harmony with each other, in such combination you can use two, three or maximum of four analog colors. Yellow can be used with green or orange, blue can be combined with green or purple. For example, on the left purple was used with blue, and on the right blue with green and light green. As I said, you can also use three colors or even four, but be careful not to overload the decor. Adjacent colors, also known as color triads, involve the use of three colors that are equidistant from each other on the color wheel. They can be a color or two apart. They are the perfect combination when you want a contrasting color. This combination contains one dominant color and two soft colors that balance the ambience. For example, in the top right picture yellow is used with green and blue, all of which are one color away from each other on the color wheel. We also have divided complementary colors. This chromatic technique refers to the use of one color together with the two that are on either side of its complement. For example, purple with green and orange. The later two are to the right and left of the color yellow, which is the complement of purple. This type of color scheme produces high contrast without being aggressive. We also have the tetradic color scheme or the double complementary. It involves choosing the colors located on a rectangle on the color wheel. Or rather, you choose the two colors from the color wheel and form a scheme with their complement. They don't have to be equally spaced on the color wheel as long as they are complementary pairs. If you use this scheme, you should know that it is quite difficult to balance it harmoniously. It is advisable to use one dominant color and the other soft color. We also have the monotone color scheme, which is represented by a color in one shade. It's a very rarely used scheme due to its intensity. The monochromatic color scheme uses a single shade in several tints and tones, that is lighter and darker variation of the same shade. The poor color being mixed with a white or black. For example, blue can be changed to a pale blue similar to a clear sky or a dark blue like a night sky. And it is very important not to vary the shade itself. Choose both blue and purple for example. Many chromatic rooms are built around neutral colors. Choose a shade that you like and that will be the predominant one. Then select other shades, shadows, tones and vary only in saturation and intensity. How to build a color scheme? We talked about the color scheme but know that they are a very good reference in case you are not a creative person. But of course, you can also create your color scheme according to the color you like or the color already existing in the room. For example, if you want to buy a green sofa to match the green of the existing wallpaper, the first step is to identify the shade of green found on the wallpaper. Decide if you want the shade of green on the sofa to be lighter or darker than the one of the wallpaper. If you decide on lighter shade, you can accessorize the sofa with some decorated pillows in the same shade as the wallpaper. There are also tools to help you with this, which I will show you in a video at the end of the chapter. They are cool and can help you find a suitable color scheme either by matching the color palette with an existing inspiration picture or by automatically generating a random color scheme. The first one is ColorSnap. You opt out a picture you like regardless of whether it's an inspiration picture from a vacation or a place you like or just a room. Then a color palette will be generated. The second one is Paletone.com. It's another very interesting site where you can create color schemes automatically. You can get monochrome, complementary color schemes, and many more. All you have to do is play with the color wheel, select the color you like, and the recommended color scheme will be automatically created for you. And then we have Colors.co. It's my favorite. It automatically generates color palettes according to your choice. Respectively, you can view which are the most trading color palettes. The most successful color scheme is 3-4 colors, one or two primary and two secondaries, plus one neutral. This is very important, especially in small rooms, because an abundance of shades make a room seem overcrowded and narrow. While there is no perfect choice, it's important to be careful and not to overload your color palette with more than three or four colors in addition to neutrals or non-colors. Four colors are already a bit much, considering that with one color you can use various tones of it, which is already enough. In the picture on the left, we have the main color orange and the secondary color pink, to which the non-colors black and white are added. In the living room on the right, green, orange, and yellow were used in addition to neutral colors such as gray and brown and the non-colors of black and white. Be aware that the choice of color scheme depends on several criteria, which I will enlist in the next chapter. What to consider when choosing colors. We talked before about certain color schemes you can use, but in order to choose the right color scheme, you must first consider some important details. Your color preferences and tastes. What color do you like? You can start by thinking of a favorite object or some decoration that inspires you in choosing the color. For example, I designed the apartment taking inspiration from a palm leaf and I built the chromaticity of the apartment around this model. The second important factor is the functionality of the space and thus the mood you want the room to give you. If it is a place of rest, then you rather want a relaxing atmosphere. If it's an activity area, then you want the space to exude energy. The more vivid and bright the colors, the more dynamic and energetic the atmosphere will be. The warmer and more muted the colors, the more peaceful and comfortable the atmosphere will be. The actual structure of the room should not be neglected either. This involves height, how high or low the room is, width, how wide or narrow the room is and brightness, how bright or dark is the room. The orientation of the windows is very important because in cold rooms, which have windows facing north or east, warm colors are suitable, while for rooms that have windows facing west or south, which are bright cool colors are best suited. In conclusion, the space itself affects factors such as perception of colors, the size and height of the room, which is the most visible wall and what furniture or decorative object you have in the room, while the number of windows and doors influences how the dominant color is perceived. The texture of the color is also very important. Color is part of solid tangible materials, carpet threads, fabrics, wallpapers, wood, piece of furniture or drapery, so the material influences the perception of color. Red on a velvet fabric will have a different intensity than on a silk fabric and will convey something else. If you want a big visual impact, then use an intense color, but be careful because too much color can be very tiring. Intense colors bring objects closer to each other and pale colors move them apart, thus creating space between them. My advice is to dilute the poor color with white or neutral shades of gray and beige, or to counterbalance with white and use stronger color only as an accent. Use the color in its pure state only for visual impact, either to an accent wall or a piece of furniture and let the rest be lighter, more muted shades. For example, paint the wall blue and buy all blue furniture. Because it will load too much and such an interior will give you a feeling of restlessness, I wouldn't suggest it. Don't use the same color in every room. It is best to choose a bright strong color, for example blue, and then by mixing with white or black you get color tones to use in the rest of the room. A deep blue used on an accent wall in the living room can be transformed into a light blue for the bedroom and a pastel blue for the bedroom. As I said before, light bright colors give the feeling of a larger space. Closed ones visually reduce the space. How to choose wall colors and how to change the perception of space. Regardless of whether you have a long, short, wide, narrow, high or low room, you can mitigate these minuses by using the correct ingenious color palette. Spaces can be optimized through optical illusions and thus you can change the perception of the space without it being modified. If you have a tall room, the height of the room will decrease if you paint the ceiling in an intense color and apply a dark color floor. This will create the impression that the ceiling is lower than it is. Or if you don't have a dark color floor, you end up painting only the ceiling in a more intense color. At the same time, you can continue the same color on the ceiling and the wall, thus reducing the height. If you have a long room, it will appear shorter if the central wall is painted in intense color. This will make the space smaller as it appears closer to the viewer. If you have a room that is too low, it will look taller if you paint the walls around it. You can eventually extend the color on the ceiling as well, thus the ceiling surface will shrink and the ceiling will appear higher than it is. If you have a room that is too wide, the room will are intensely colored, thus reducing the feeling of space. Colors in more intense shades appear closer to the viewer than those in pale shades. If you have a small room, it is recommended to use light and warm colors to create the feeling of space. In a dark room, you can use pale light colors to brighten it up. The most well-known rule for combining colors is the 60-30-10 rule, or named the rule of proportion. If you want to have a harmonious result, it is advisable to apply this rule. It is a timeless and indicative decorating rule that helps you choose the color scheme easily. The numbers represent the proportion of colors intended to give you balance in the arranged space. 60% is the dominant color, which means that it will be found in 60% of the room, such as on the walls, ceiling, or floor. It is recommended that this color should be a neutral or delicate shade that rests the eyes and can be paired with some other strong base color. 30% is the secondary color, and is represented by furniture, curtains, bedding, or even an accent wall. 10% is the accent color represented by decorative objects such as pillows, paintings, candles, and lamps. Often it ends up that only one object has an accent color. This color is often taken or inspired by an already existing artwork or printed fabric. In short, decorated rules are useful when you need some direction. Of course, you can experiment and make your own rule if you feel, for example, that you need a 30-30-20-20 percent, or as in the picture, you see a 30-30-10-10 percent. That makes you feel at ease. There is nothing wrong with that. The key is to find the color balance that works for you. However, there are some successful color combinations that follow this 60-30-10% rule of thumb. Light gray, blue-yellow, light brown, orange-blue, beige, olive-green, purple, white-blue-green. Have you ever wondered why you feel energized after entering a room dominated by the color yellow? You can choose the colors according to the lifestyle you have and what you want the room to express or what mood it should convey. Each color has the ability to convey a certain mood and can create the right atmosphere in every room. Thus, some colors help you relax better before you sleep and others that help you concentrate better when you work. As a rule, the rooms are divided into two types of spaces. The active dynamic ones, the kitchen and the living room. The inactive static ones, the bedroom and the bedroom. Warm colors are bold, energetic, and strong colors such as red, yellow, and orange. They represent energy and passion and are great in spaces where there is constant activity such as the kitchen, dining area, and office. Our brain associates warm colors with dynamism and energy. Cool colors such as green, blue, and brown are relaxing, peaceful colors and have a calming effect. They are used in passive rooms such as the bedroom or the bedroom. These colors give a relaxing atmosphere and our brain associates cool color with freshness and calmness. It is good to know that all colors used in excess can be aggressive and visually disturbing and can make us tired, irritated, give us headaches, or even create a depressive state. But we are not going to focus on the adverse effects of using color in excess but on the positive effects that color can bring you if they are used in moderation but also the rooms in which it is advisable to use them. Let's start with red. It transmits energy, passion, and enthusiasm. Red is the color of passion and drama. It best attracts attention and is often associated with strong emotions such as love and anger. Red is universally used to communicate danger or power. While vibrant and exciting, it also inspires feeling of lust with a strong connection to sexuality. Colorists have proven that red can raise blood pressure and stimulate the adrenal gland. In color therapy, red is often used to eliminate negative thoughts and release intense negative emotions such as anger. It can be used in the kitchen, dining room, or even in the bedroom but in very small doses because you risk energizing too much the space where you need to rest. Blue transmits calmness, confidence, and honesty. Being the color of the sea and the sky, blue communicates a state of peace and serenity. This calming color conveys confidence and inspires loyalty, integrity, and responsibility. A cooler blue is associated with growth and compassion and a deeper shade represents introspection and wisdom. Blue is used very often to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It also has been shown to lower blood pressure. Blue inspires mental control and clarity. However, too much blue can create mild depression. It is suitable for a bedroom, bathroom, or office. Orange transmits optimist, creativity, independence, and adventure. Orange is the color of optimist and is considered a social color that enhances conversation, creativity, and connection with those around you. So it is a suitable color for extroverted people. As a combination of red and yellow, orange is an influential color lending the passion of red and the stability of yellow. Orange is often used as an antidepressant and color therapy and can relieve feeling of self-pity. It is also believed to help threaten the immune system and even digestive. It can be used in living room, kitchen, and dining room. Yellow transmits enthusiasm, optimist, and stability. It is a color full of energy and happiness. It conveys youthful optimism and freshness. As the color of the sun, it is uplifting and illuminating and often associated with success and confidence. It stimulates the left side of the brain which helps in clear thinking and quick decision making. In color therapy, yellow is used to create uplifting feelings. Stimulating the brain can make you more alert and energetic. Yellow increases self-confidence but some people may find that it can also trigger feeling of fear or anxiety. It is suitable color for hallways and breakfast areas. Green transmits safety, peace, and harmony. Found throughout nature, green is the color of growth and health signifying regeneration and rebirth. It evokes feeling of abundance while providing a sense of security. Green is believed to be good for the heart and also helps you breathe more slowly and deeply. It creates feeling of comfort and relaxation reminding us of nature. However, it is known that shade of olive green can convey thoughts of decay and death and can affect mental and emotional health. You can use it in the bedroom, living room, study room, or office. Purple exudes mystery, compassion, and imagination. Violet is often associated with spirituality and royalty. The energy of red combining with the calmness of blue generates a color that encourages introspection and reflection. It is the color of the introverted man. It is often used to encourage creativity and emphasize noble luxury. Violet has an antiseptic effect. Color therapy is used to treat mental and nervous disorders as it can help balance the mind and eliminate phobias and fears. It can also lessen emotional disturbances. It is suitable for a bedroom or meditation room. Neutral colors and non-colors can be used in any room. Brown represents security and stability, can be used in the living room and study room. White conveys simplicity, clarity, and purity. It is suitable for the kitchen and bedroom. It is ideal for arranging small spaces, narrow and poorly lit spaces. Of course, it's used in the right quantities. It can be used to decorate any space, bedroom, living room, bedroom, kitchen. Black exudes elegance, mystery, and masculinity. It is advisable to avoid black in small narrow spaces in rooms that have a low height. It is preferable to use black as an accent color considering that is a very intense color. Gray conveys caution and compromise. It is from a psychological point of view neutral. It does not relax and it does not stimulate. It is a suitable choice for the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. Colorful tips. Before making decisions and organizing everything around the color that attracts you, keep the following tips in mind to avoid possible mistakes. Test the color of the wall. Test the chosen color on different portions of the wall. A color from the sampler or a catalog may look different on the wall. Consider that artificial light can change the perception of color and the brighter it is, the more pronounced the transformation. For this reason, it is advisable to do this test in daylight in natural conditions. Don't choose color based on trends. What is fashionable this year will not be next year. Trends change quickly so it is advisable to orient yourself according to personal preferences or other criteria before choosing the color. Materials in neutral colors are the most common as they will always be in fashion. So it will be advisable to use natural color for the carpet, countertops, and other elements that you cannot replace easily and to use bright strong colors for elements that you can replace quickly. Keep furniture in mind when choosing wall colors. If you have furniture in neutral or non-colored colors, choosing wall colors will not be a problem. But if you have furniture in brighter colors then it is recommended to take this into account and choose calmer shades for the wall. Otherwise you risk overloading the space and making an unsuccessful coloring. Don't just use bright colors. Bright colors may seem tempting at first but this can become tiresome and irritating over time. It is important to temper colors by mixing the poor color with white or black or achieve a balance by using gray, white, and black to temper your color. View the entire home. When you arrange your room, don't forget to look at the home as a whole. Imagine each room as a puzzle piece that will eventually form a picture. Each piece is a visual component. They must be linked to each other by a common element, be it design style, architectural elements, or color. Use colors. If you don't belong to the category of people who misuses colors then you may be in this category. You hesitate to use colors because you're afraid you'll make the wrong choices. But if you use white as your base color and another accent color you can't go wrong. A little color doesn't hurt, it even gives life to the room. Don't limit yourself to one color. Of course using color is better than no color at all but if you use only one color on all the walls in the room the ambience can become boring. Use the color as an accent if you don't dare to combine them. The last one, don't use the same color palette throughout the house. It is recommended to have the main color that is repeated in each room and secondary but different colors in each room. Do not select the same color palette throughout the house. In other words, use a deep blue as an accent color on the bedroom wall and a pale blue on the bedroom wall.