How to Choose the Perfect Color Palette for Each Room

Last updated on October 29th, 2024

Choosing a room color palette to complement your ideal design and décor is exciting, creative, and empowering. One of the best tools to help in your decision is the color wheel, which identifies color families and how they relate to each other. 

Color Families Within the Wheel 

A color wheel is made up of 12 color families. The outer ring shows the hue of each family, meaning the brightest form of the color. Together, the tints, tones, and shades make up the values within each color family.

Painting with One Color 

One of the best and safest ways to select your color scheme is by using the various values within a single-color family. Called a monochromatic or tonal color scheme, this method ensures your space feels visually comfortable and harmonious while creating a rich visual effect. 

Select the Main Color

Start with your main room when choosing a color family, drawing from the furniture, flooring, and fabrics. Pick up paint swatches from the store and view the colors at different times of day to see how they look in natural and artificial light. Once you finalize your choice, select two more variations of the same color so you have a total of one light and two mediums. 

Let Your Colors Do the Work

If your main area gets a lot of light, paint it in the palest shade. A medium color works best in a room that is naturally dark. If you can see into other rooms, use a different color (the light or another medium color) to paint the far walls. This will make your space more visually interesting while still maintaining the overall tone you are going for. To further unify the space, finish the ceiling in a neutral color and paint all the trim white.

Add a Pop of Flair

To add some artful creativity to your space, select a dark or bright color from the same color family and use it as an accent throughout your space. Consider using this color for the kitchen backsplash, behind some bookshelves, or as an accent wall. You can also pick up the accent color in paintings, rugs, patterned fabrics, and pillowsto help draw the eye from one room to another.

Utilizing Multiple Color Families

For complementary colors, choose color families directly across from each other on the color wheel. If you want to work with three colors, referred to as an analogous color scheme, find your single color on the wheel and use the neighboring colors as your accent shades. These colors work well together because they share the same base.

A World of Color 

Even with the best advice, selecting a color scheme can be intimidating. If you’d like a little help, check out the HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams Collection. Based on the principles of the color wheel, the collection features beautifully choreographed palettes, each of which includes 20 coordinating colors. Just select the collection you like the best and rest assured knowing all the colors work together beautifully.