Are you planning to redecorate your home? Maybe you’re refurnishing it or just bought a new home and starting from scratch? Well, if you’re right around there, I am sure you’ll know how challenging it gets when you create a color palette for home.

Whether you incline more towards Farmhouse style or Scandinavian, Bohemian décor or Coastal, color choices may greatly vary depending on the personal preferences and your design style.

So, here I am to help you create the perfect color palette for your home! Or should I say GUIDE you how to work around the with paints and understanding the basic underlying theories behind it?

If you already know your design style, I will soon have a series of blog posts that will help you know specifically what colors to best pick!

Are you excited? Well, I too am!

Time to spill some beans now.

How To Create Color Palette for Home?

Step 1: Look Around and Observe

It is time to look around and observe the existing colors in your space. Whether you have a fireplace with exposed brick texture, window treatments, or furniture pieces that you wouldn’t want to move – all these MATTER! Here is a list of interior elements that you might want to consider before choosing to paint the walls.

1. Artwork – Color and Frames
2. Flooring – Material, Color, and Texture
3. Window and Door Frames
4. Fireplace Covering
5. Existing Furniture Pieces

Never underestimate the existing structural and interior elements in your space. You’re lucky if the space is brand-new as you’re open to hundreds of colors out there in the market, but don’t give up even if you have existing elements!

Because trust me – that is the REAL fun!

The ultimate FUN of mixing and blending the past with new is absolutely priceless!

Step 2: Pick a Neutral

Now that you have a list of materials and colors of the existing elements in your space, choose the best neutral you see!

There is quite a possibility that you might find more than 1 (sometimes there are 3 and 4 as well)!

This is the time to choose your absolute favorite one – as it is going to further help you in creating a cohesive color palette.

Your neutrals could vary from off-whites, beiges, tans, taupes, whites, browns, greys, and greiges!

Step 3: Pick Accents

From the same batch of existing elements, you would want to pick accents that best compliment your neutrals.

When you pick these colors, make sure the undertones align well with the neutrals you chose!

You don’t want to completely go OFF the palette – make sure that there is a visual connection between your neutrals and accents!

Let me help you a little here!

See what undertones your neutrals have!

Is it cool-toned, warm-toned, purples, reds, greens, blues, or simply is it a no-neutral undertone?

You may then want to link these neutral undertones with aligning cool or warm color!

However, there are no hard and fast rules – sometimes, creating a contrast balance is not a bad idea either.

Step 4: Add a Pop

Now that we have chosen accents based on existing neutrals, it is time to add a contrasting pop of shade.

Note – It is not necessary that this color HAS to be present in the existing interior elements!

They could be added in the form of throw pillows and accent chairs to highlight this little pop shade to create a contrast!

Let me share one of my experiences with you.

I once was approached by a client who had existing bold accents of reds and blues in his family room through existing furniture that he didn’t want to remove! Well, it really was a tricky situation – and you know what I did? (Look through the picture below)

I basically opted for a neutral off-white color with cool undertones that best harmonized with his blue armchair, bold red loveseat, and blue-green imprint accent chair. Meanwhile, for the trims and moldings – I chose to paint a stark white paint that further protrudes out the paint color and makes the space look bright!

In situations like these when you basically have NO neutral and only accents, you should choose an undertone that neutralizes the accents and best aligns with all the possible colors in your room.

Even the size of your room matters! Have a look at my blog to know more about how room sizes and paint colors go hand-in-hand!

But How do I Blend the Accents and Neutrals so it makes the room look seamless?

Unless you have an Art Deco and Eclectic design style, when you want to incorporate tons of contrasts and vibrant colors – that’s a whole new story of accents and bases but in the case of any other design style, you should be considering a general thumb rule of accents!

First and foremost, what is the size of your room?

If it is small and congested, you need to assure using only 1 accent! (Trust me, using 2 accents in a small space might further suffocate it)!

And that’s not what you want!

If your space is medium-sized, you could take a risk of using 2 accents (I am kidding – it’s not a risk)!

And meanwhile, with a good-enough ample medium or larger space – don’t shy away from using 3 accents!

But BEWARE, these accents need to be very well used in a certain ratio and proportion.

If you are planning to use 1 accent color, make it 25%-35% of the overall color palette in the room.

If you are planning to use 2 color accents,

Make the main accent color to be 70% of the total accent palette and the secondary accent to be 30%!

And for the 3 color accents,

Drop down the main accent to 60% and secondary and tertiary colors to be 20%-20% and 10%-30%!

It is always ideal to choose the best opposite accents!

Aware of the color wheel?

Yes, this is when you need to get that into use. Whether you are create a color palette for home that is either contrasting or a monochromatic one, there is a subtle way these colors need to be paired opposite.

I mean, what do you think – why are they called an ‘accent’ right?

Haha!

Go for contrast! Go for opposites!

Here is a list of colors that well oppose each other-

Yellow = Blue, Purple

Pink = Greens

Red, Rust = Greens

Orange = Blue, Teal

Green = Purple

Blue = Orange

Don’t be afraid to use these accents! Accents are the elements that help in creating a dramatic effect in a room! They will take away the monotony and throw it right outside your home. So, are you excited to add some fun to your space?

If you still have doubts and questions, do let me know your thoughts in the comments below or check out my interior decoration and color consulting packages where I can get one-on-one with you and we can discuss your lovely spaces and how we can together make them even more beautiful and livable.

So, are you excited?

Well, I too am!!!

 

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