How to Use the Color Wheel for Decorating

This post about using the color wheel for decorating was updated in May 2023.

We know choosing a color scheme can be intimidating, but what if we told you there was a fool-proof way of creating a color palette that’s not only easy on the eyes, but one you’ll love to live with? The secret lies in the color wheel and understanding how to use it to create winning color combinations.

Color Wheel: The Basic Colors Explained

Based on scientific color principles, the color wheel is organized in a way that shows how colors naturally combine, blend and contrast.  It’s divided into 12 colors and three categories: primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary colors are red, yellow and blue. All other colors are created from these three colors.

Between each primary color on the wheel are the secondary colors, orange, green and violet, created by mixing two primaries.

Tertiary colors are formed by mixing a primary color with a secondary color next to it. They are yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green and yellow-green.

Color Schemes from the Color Wheel

The color wheel is an essential decorating tool as long as you know how to use it. Color is a huge tool when decorating your space — it can evoke a feeling you’re looking to create, it camouflages flaws, creates drama, creates serenity, and will help your eye move around the room. Below, we outline different color palettes, why you might want to use them in your room, and how we used the color wheel to create them.

Keep in mind: blues, greens and purples tend to be cooler tones that are more calming, and oranges, yellows, browns, reds and pinks are warmer tones that are more exciting. Before you pick a color palette, it’s important that you know what kind of feel you want in your room.

Monochromatic Colors

Nothing says you have to decorate with a medley of colors. In fact, going monochromatic with tone-on-tone color can result in a really sophisticated, edited look.

Start with a color you really love (for a good starting point, think about what color you wear the most), then have fun with mixing varying shades, from light to dark, or keep it classic by sticking to one shade. Everything is fair game, from the walls to upholstery to accessories.

Generally, a well-balanced room has both cool tones and warm tones, but not necessarily in equal amounts. So if you have a monochromatic color scheme with a cool tone, warm it up a bit with a natural fiber rug, wood furniture and brass, black or oil-rubbed bronze finishes. Conversely, anchor a warm palette with white walls and neutral upholstery.

Analogous Colors

If you like the simplicity of the monochromatic color scheme, but want more interest, the analogous color scheme is for you.An analogous color palette uses two to three colors that are side by side on the color wheel. It’s a no-fail way of creating a successful color combination with a mild contrast.
The best way to create a cohesive look is to follow the 60-30-10 rule — 60 percent dominant color, 30 percent secondary color and 10 percent accent color. To create a more relaxing vibe in a space, such as a bedroom, choose muted hues or cool tones. For a more energetic feel, go for more saturated hues or warm tones.

A popular analogous color combination, and one we particularly love, is blue and green. You can go either way on the wheel to introduce a third color with yellow or violet. Even adding just one thing, such as a painting or an upholstered chair, in that third color adds excitement.

Most popular analogous color palettes:

• Blue and green — combining blue and green is a timeless choice, even Mother Nature agrees. Shades of blue and green work beautifully together because their cool tones are serene.
• Yellow and green — Green is a classic choice, but we love to amp it up with yellow by balancing the cool with the warm. Both are colors found heavily in nature, so you know this combination will never go out of style.
• Blue and purple — While purple is technically a cool tone, it has red in it which warms it up. Purple in any shade is a great accent to blue because it helps balance the coolness.
• Red and orange — If you’re looking for drama, use accents of red and orange in your space. Both of these colors are energizing and excellent choices for rooms that you want to feel upbeat and dramatic.

Complementary Colors

As they say, opposites attract. Complementary colors on the color wheel are colors that are across from each other. Choosing two complementary colors creates an energizing, high-contrast color scheme. It’s also a pretty simple concept: pair two colors from opposite sides of the color wheel, such as purple with yellow, blue with orange or red with green.

Obviously, you’ll want to look beyond the primary colors to create that winning combination of just the right shades.

For example, invigorate a room with spa blue and a touch of pink, go global with aubergine and saffron or freshen up with raspberry and lime green. When we use two contrasting, vivid colors, we like to favor one color over the other, or use both of them for accents against a neutral background. A healthy dose of white and plenty of natural light never hurts!

Triad Color Scheme

Feeling adventurous? A triad color scheme is made up of any three colors evenly spaced on the wheel. This color scheme creates a vivid contrast, but it’s balanced, so it feels a little less intense than a complementary color scheme. Make it easy on the eyes, and let one color dominate and accent with the other two. If you really want to go bold, use saturated versions of all three colors, or soften the colors and incorporate plenty of neutrals.

Want to learn more about decorating with color? Find all of the colors we’ve used in our rooms. Learn more with these blogposts:

• Colorful Rooms: How to Add Color to Every Space
• Small Ways to Add Color to Your Room
• Jewel Tones – How to Love Them in Your Interior Design
• How to Pick Paint Colors for Your Room
• Decorating with Dark Paint Colors

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