What makes a grouping of colours right or wrong? Who makes the rules, anyway? With a subject that seems so free and inventive as colour and design, it’s fascinating just how text book the answers are.

Indeed, there are rules. I hate to break it to you, it isn’t just a whimsical fancy that makes yellow the perfect response to purple, or red the perfect partner for turquoise. But look on the bright side! If you learn the rules, you can be confident that the palette you choose will work, and you can quiet those nagging doubts once and for all!

Colours that fit harmoniously together have a unifying element, a thread of commonality that ties the hues together. There are several universal elements we can use, and they’re the keys that open up endless varieties of harmonious palettes to choose from.

The most common ways to unite colours include using the natural order of colour to create balanced palettes, building on a shared hue or shade, or even using a palette that we find in nature.

The Natural Order of Colour

Otherwise known as the colour wheel, the natural order of colour is an endless loop that blends the shades together in a rainbow from red to orange, yellow, green blue and purple.

The most common ways to wield it’s harmonious forces:

Complimentary Colour Scheme – Choosing two main hues that are directly opposite on the wheel is the easiest, surefire way to find a balanced colour scheme.

Split Complimentary Colour Scheme – Choosing one main hue, and two complimenting hues that directly to the right and left of the complimenting colour.

Analogous Colour Scheme – Choosing a palette of colours that are directly beside each other on the colour wheel ensures that your colours have a common thread that unites them.

A Natural Palette – Often, a colour scheme will work for us because it reminds us of something we know and love in nature. Sandy whites and glassy blue-greens will not only work as beautifully in your home as they do on a tropical beach, but it also has the added benefit of bringing with it the same emotions that the beach conjures up for you. A natural palette directly ties you to the natural experience it relates to.

A Shared Hue – Often a scheme can work if it uses only one main colour, and builds a palette by using the hue in a variety of depths and saturations. This is referred to as a monochromatic colour scheme.

A Shared Shade – Referred to as an achromatic colour scheme, this palette is built on a lack of colour, and the scheme becomes a variety of shades, including any variation of white, greys and black.

Don’t forget to consider the phycology of colours when you’re choosing the perfect scheme. Colours have an incredible effect on our psyche, playing an important role in creating the mood of the spaces we create. 

There are as many colour schemes as there are stars in the sky, and what works for you depends on what you need from the space. Do you need rest and calm, or energy and charisma? Do you seek friction and energy, or do you prefer smooth transitions in life? Does the sunshine make you happy, or shades of natural green?

Colour Palettes to Love

Here are some of  my favourite colour schemes and reasons why I love them:

Photo: Lonny Magazine. Blue Pouf and Fireplace. Spring, 2012. www.lonnymag.com

This living space, featured in Lonny Magazine last spring inspired me. The complimentary colour scheme of blue and orange has been muted to nearly an achromatic level. Intense shades of espresso brown and creamy whites span the spectrum of muted oranges, while silvery blues and steely greys play counterpart to the balance of colour. It’s sumptuous, elegant and alive with texture.

Photo: Kelly Wearstler,Viceroy Miami Express Lobby

Kelly Wearstler is one of my design idols, wielding the great forces of colour with the ease of a Jedi knight. Never afraid to play with high stakes, she makes mesmerizing scenes with complex and surprising palettes, all hinged on her eye for balance.

This scene from the lobby of the Viceroy Miami Express is built on a diad scheme (two colours that are one step apart on the colour wheel) with aqua and chartreuse playing off one another.

An important and often under appreciated factor can be the hue of the metal used in a design space. Here, brass plays a warm chartreuse tone and works seamlessly into the scene. Wearstler is a master at using the striking tones of metals to create friction and definition in her works. 

Photo: Black and White. Lonny Magazine. www.lonnymag.com

It’s important to remember that rarely is there a truly achromatic (a shade, not a colour) tone, as most greys have subtle hues to them. When this is the case, the subtleties are amplified and something as lacking in chroma as this metallic sofa suddenly seems warm and golden in contrast  to the rest of the room.

The textured surfaces and dimensional patterns add depth to the space, and the metallic and reflective elements allow light to add drama, providing ample candy for our hungry eyes to feast on.

Photo: Jonathan Adler. www.JonathanAdler.com

Jonathan Adler is another colour wielding knight. His penchant for bright palettes built on complex tertiary tones brightens my world.

Adler’s secret weapon is in the unexpected; the element of surprise keeps his works fresh and alive.

Here, Adler uses a tetrad scheme, (four tones even spaced on the colour wheel) focusing on two of the four tones, which are not direct complimentary tones. This is unique and surprising. The balance is kept with a keen eye for proportions. The area rug ties the four tones in beautifully and creates an instant visual reassurance for the visitor.

Kelly Wearstler. Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/fashion-and-beauty/fashion/kelly-wearstler-designs/article638938/

Kelly Wearstler plays with an analogous colour scheme (three tones side by side on the colour wheel), exploring the region from purple to magenta to red. Variations on chroma and value give the eye reprieve from the saturation and heat of the colours.

Again, she harnesses the colour of the metal, here in a warm yellow brass, to play up the chemistry between the complimentary tones of purple and yellow.

Don’t forget, we’re always here to help! If you want that extra bit of reassurance, just ask. Wallflower Boutique makes it easy to get as much or little help as you want, and a reasonable hourly rate takes the guesswork and stress out of asking!