How do I use the colour wheel when designing my interior?

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The color wheel is a powerful tool for anyone who works with color, from graphic designers to interior stylists. You too can use it to design your interior. But how do you use the color wheel effectively to create the right color combinations? In this article, you will learn the basics of color theory and discover how you can use the color wheel to create a harmonious and visually appealing interior design.

  • Kleurenwiel

How to Use the Color Wheel for Your Interior : A Guide to Harmonious Decor

  • The color wheel is a great and useful tool for anyone looking to create a harmonious and visually appealing interior . It helps you choose colors for your interior. Whether you are an experienced interior designer or just want to freshen up your home, understanding the color wheel can help you make color choices that bring a sense of balance and aesthetic appeal to your interior. This comes in handy when choosing walls, decorative pillows , throws , the sofa, an armchair, a rug, vases , table linen, an ottoman, etc.

  • What is the Color Wheel?

    The color wheel is a visual representation of colors arranged according to their chromatic relationship. It is usually divided into primary, secondary, and tertiary colors:

    • Primary colors on the color wheel : Red, blue, and yellow. These are the three basic colors. The main characteristic of these colors is that they are original. In other words, they cannot be created by mixing other colors. Most other colors are created by mixing the primary colors.
    • Secondary Colors on the Color Wheel : Secondary colors are all colors that can be made by mixing two primary colors. The most important secondary colors are green, orange, and purple or violet. Green is made by mixing equal parts yellow and blue. Orange is made by mixing equal parts red and yellow. And when you mix red and blue you get purple, also called violet.
    • Tertiary colors on the color wheel : Colors that are created by mixing a primary color with a secondary color, such as red-orange, formed by mixing red (primary) with orange (secondary) or blue-green, formed by mixing blue (primary) with green (secondary). You can also say that tertiary colors are formed by three primary colors. Two primary colors have formed the secondary color and then a third primary color is mixed. Two of these three primary colors can be the same, but this does not have to be the case. For example, blue-green again, created by mixing blue (primary) with green (secondary), or in other words mixing blue (primary) with blue (primary) and yellow (primary), because green is formed by blue and yellow. Brown is a tertiary color that can be obtained by mixing red (primary) and green (secondary). This is the same as mixing red (primary) with yellow (primary) and blue (primary). You can create endless shades of brown by changing the mixing ratio of these three primary colors.
  • violet op het kleurenwiel

    Violet (purple)

    • Secondary color
    • Red + Blue
    • Cold color
  • roodviolet op het kleurenwiel

    Red-violet

    • Tertiary color
    • Red + violet
  • rood op het kleurenwiel

    Red

    • Primary color
    • Warm color
  • roodoranje op het kleurenwiel

    Red-orange

    • Tertiary color
    • Red + orange
    • Warm color
  • oranje op het kleurenwiel

    Orange

    • Secondary color
    • Yellow + Red
    • Warm color
  • geeloranje op het kleurenwiel

    Yellow-orange

    • Tertiary color
    • Yellow + orange
    • Warm color
  • geel op het kleurenwiel

    Yellow

    • Primary color
    • Warm color
  • geelgroen op het kleurenwiel

    Yellow-green

    • Tertiary color
    • Yellow + green
  • groen op het kleurenwiel

    Green

    • Secondary color
    • Yellow + Blue
    • Cold color
  • blauwgroen op het kleurenwiel

    Blue-green

    • Tertiary color
    • Blue + green
    • Cold color
  • blauw op het kleurenwiel

    Blue

    • Primary color
    • Cold color
  • blauwviolet op het kleurenwiel

    Blue-violet

    • Tertiary color
    • Blue + violet
    • Cold color

Which color combinations for my interior? Gain insight into the use of colors in your interior with the help of the color wheel

  • Now that you know the three types of colours, primary, secondary and tertiary, you can learn how these colours work via the colour wheel. This way you can choose the colour combinations that make your interior a harmonious whole. We distinguish the following categories of colours:

  • Complementary Colors = opposing colors in an interior

    Complementary colours on the colour wheel are colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as blue and orange, violet and yellow or red and green. They are opposite colours. These colour combinations create a strong contrast and bring energy into an interior . Next to each other they have a strong, striking and intensive effect. They are ideal for eye-catchers and accent pieces in an interior or to create a striking element in an otherwise neutral interior . You should certainly not overdo it because these colour combinations are often experienced as unpleasant. A variation on the complementary colours are the divided complementary colours. These are not the complementary colours themselves but the adjacent colours in the colour wheel. This way you can make many more combinations with less striking colours.

    Tip : Use complementary colors sparingly in your interior . For example, if your walls are neutral, you can introduce complementary colors through accessories such as decorative pillows , artwork or a statement armchair.

  • Monochromatic Colors in an Interior

    Monochromatic colors on the color wheel consist of different shades, hues, and tones of a single color. This creates a very cohesive and serene look to an interior . For example, you can use different shades of blue to create a calm and soothing atmosphere in your bedroom.

    Tip : Add texture to a monochromatic scheme to keep the interior visually interesting. Think of a mix of soft fabrics, wood, and glass in the same hue.
  • Voorbeeld van complementaire kleuren blauw en oranje: Blauwe fauteuil met een fel oranje sierkussen

    Here you see an example of the complementary colors blue and orange: a blue armchair with a bright orange decorative cushion

  • Voorbeeld van monochromatische kleuren: een slaapkamer met verschillende tinten blauw en verschillende texturen

    An example of monochromatic colors in a bedroom with different shades of blue and different textures for the bed, walls, decorative pillows , a plaid , vases , the armchair and the flowers.

  • Analogous Colors = adjacent colors in an interior

    Analogous colours are colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel and go well together in an interior , such as blue, green and blue-green. Yellow and yellow-orange are also analogous colours. They are next to each other on the colour wheel. These combinations create a harmonious and relaxed atmosphere in an interior because the colours are closely related. These schemes work well in spaces where peace and comfort are important, such as living rooms and bedrooms.
    Tip : Add a neutral color, such as white or gray, to avoid making the space too overwhelming.

  • Triadic Color Combinations in an Interior

    A triadic color scheme on the color wheel consists of three colors that are evenly distributed across the color wheel, such as red, yellow, and blue. This combination is vibrant and dynamic, and creates a harmonious interplay in an interior . These combinations are perfect for playful and energetic spaces such as children's rooms or creative workspaces.
    Tip : Use one color as the dominant shade and the other two as accent colors to maintain a balanced look in the interior .
  • Voorbeeld van een triadische kleurencombinatie in een kinderkamer met hoofdkleur blauw en geel en rood als accentkleur

    This photo shows an example of a triadic colour combination in a children's room with blue as the main colour and yellow and red as accent colours. Do you find this too much, too overwhelming? Then replace a number of red and yellow elements with blue. For example, you can take all the drawers in the cupboards the same shade of blue. You could replace the red and yellow cushions with blue ones. Finally, you can also make the red wall yellow or blue.

  • This is also a children's room with a triadic color combination of blue, red and yellow. If you still find this too overwhelming, you can also paint the walls in one shade of blue. You can take the carpet in one shade of blue and possibly all the cushions in the same color, for example all yellow. With these interior ideas we just want to show how the color combinations work.

  • Here you see a variation of a complementary color combination with yellow and blue. In this interior you can also tone down the effect by taking the carpet in one color blue. We would then opt for the slightly darker blue than the walls.

  • Slaapkamer met grijs beddengoed en sierkussens, een plaid en een fauteuil in analogische kleuren blauw, groen en blauwgroen

    An example of a bedroom with gray bedding and decorative pillows , a plaid and an armchair in analogous colors blue, green and blue-green for a harmonious whole.

  • Warm and Cold Colors in an Interior

    Colors are often classified according to their temperature: warm (such as red, orange, and yellow) or cold (such as blue, green, and purple). Warm colors bring energy and coziness to an interior , while cool colors give a sense of peace and tranquility. In a room, cool colors create a sense of distance, while warmer colors create a sense of closeness. By finding the right balance between warm and cool colors, you can create an interior that feels both inviting and relaxing. In addition, colors can have a warm and a cold variant. A color becomes warmer as more yellow is added to the paint. More blue in the paint will make a color colder.
    Tip : If you have a room with a lot of natural light, you can use cool colors to soften the light. In a room with little light, warm colors can create a cozier atmosphere in the interior .

  • Neutral Colors in an Interior

    Neutral colors, such as white, gray, beige, and black, play a crucial role in any color palette. They can serve as background colors that make other colors stand out, or as connecting colors that bring different shades together in an interior.
    Tip : Use different shades of neutral colours in textures and materials to add depth and interest to your interior.

How to use the color wheel practically for your interior design?

  • You can also buy a physical color wheel so that you will discover many more possibilities to make your interior a harmonious whole. This color wheel is a turntable with a front and a back. By turning the disk of the color wheel you can see which colors you have to use to get a desired color. The color wheel explains its operation well. Experiment with the color wheel. Turn the disk of the color wheel and be surprised by its possibilities. Together with the knowledge that you can learn about the color wheel in this article, you will be able to furnish your interior into a harmonious interior, where it is pleasant to come home.

  • The front of the color wheel

    On the front of the color wheel you can see which color is created by mixing certain colors. For example, you will see that you get green by mixing yellow and blue. To do this, turn the disk of the color wheel so that the box "add yellow" or "adding yellow" ends up under the blue color and then you will see green appear in the window on the color wheel.

  • The Back of the Color Wheel

    On the back of the color wheel you will see which color is created when you mix a certain color with white (tint), gray (tone) or black (shade). The colors on the color wheel are the basic colors. By adding white, gray or black to these basic colors you can change these basic colors. You can make the color lighter by adding white. These lighter colors are called tints. You can weaken a color by adding gray to it. These weakened colors are called tones. Finally, you can darken the color by adding black to it. These darker colors are called shades.

Gain even more knowledge and inspiration for the design of your interior here