A Color Guide For Your Interiors

So you probably clicked on this because you are having a hard time deciding what colors you will use for your interior. I know, i know, I have been through this before too. Let's admit it, mixing and matching colors can get infuriating at times, especially when you have zero knowledge on how to apply colors in your humble abode.

"What color goes well with this and that?"

"How many colors can I use?"

"How do I not make my room look tacky?"

I bet these are some of the questions that is stuck in your mind right now. Fret not my dear friend, I'll help you solve this problem. By the end of this you will learn about the basic of colors and how to apply them. 

Last September 14, 2019 - I was invited to attend a Lifestyle Styling Talk that tackled Condo Unit Color Guide. It was held at Pine Suites Tagaytay, which by the way is a lush condo community located right at the heart of Tagaytay. Being there felt as though I was outside of the country because of the Danish-themed establishment. It's the perfect vacation spot not so far away from the Metro. If you are interested to learn more about Pine Suites Tagaytay, I will be blogging about it too. Stay tuned!


Okay, let's go back to the main topic. Colors! 

The talk was headed by the interior designer, Ms. Francesca Arsenio. Some condo unit owners attended the said event too.

Ms. Arsenio started it off by talking about HUE. 

Hue is the undiluted colors, actual colors or root colors. For example - the hue of light blue, royal blue, sky blue and pastel blue is blue. The hue of moss green, mint green, and pastel green is green. 

Then she proceeded to talk about the Color Wheel (this is very important!)

Color Wheels are the color arrangements and structures that enable us to organize and predict reactions and interactions. 

This look familiar right? Yup! Color wheel has been taught to us already in school, particularly in the art class. Do you still remember it? You have to keep in mind these color wheels because they play an essential role in choosing the right color for your interior.

Now let's talk about COLOR TEMPERATURES and what falls down under it...

So with color temperature you can see that as the color become cooler or warmer it changes. The red turns pinkish when it is cooler and when it is warmer it changes into orange.

Even gray has cool and warm tones. Can you tell which gray is warm and which is cool?

* SATURATION - the brightness or dullness of a color. Is it dull or is it bright?

When you mix gray to a color it becomes dull  right? That is called the tones of the color. Tones is the addition of gray to a pure hue. 

* VALUE - the lightness or darkness of a color. Is the color a tint or a shade of hue?

The difference between tint and shade is the presence of white or black. Tint are the colors with a presence of white while on the other hand, shade are the colors with a presence of a black. 

Let's recap...

It's so important to know all of this to be able to apply it in color scheming your spaces. For some, colors may not be vital to them. "It's just colors," a few of you might be thinking this right now. Hep hep hep! Small details go the long way! I'll give you an example...

Same room but different colors for the wall. Okay so which of this look refreshing and peaceful to you? Which look striking and tacky? See how colors can change the mood. Just learn to play with the hue, temperature, saturation, tones, tints, shades etc.

If you want a refreshing room, go with light colors. If you want a striking room, go with saturated colors.

Since we are done discussing the basics...

Time for us to apply what we have learned!!!

And remember to always keep in mind the color wheel!

COLOR HARMONY is the visual agreement of parts of a color wheel.

There are 7 TYPES OF COLOR HARMONY:
1.Monochromatic
2. Analogous
3. Direct Complementary
4. Near Complementary
5. Split Complementary
6. Traidic
7. Tetradic

I know this sounds intimidating but it is actually simple. I'll discuss it to you one by one.

1. MONOCHROMATIC - when you use one hue only

Examples of Monochromatic:

2. ANALOGOUS - play with 3 hues that are beside each other in the color wheel

Examples of Analogous:

3. DIRECT COMPLEMENTARY - 2 hues that are in front of each other in the color wheel

Examples of Direct Complementary:

4. NEAR COMPLEMENTARY - the hue beside the direct complimentary

Example of Near Complementary:

5. SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY - the two hues beside a direct complementary

 Examples of Split Complementary:

6. TRIADIC - 3 primary colors / 3 secondary colors / 3 tertiary colors

  Examples of  Triadic:

7. TETRADIC - 4 equidistant hues (best used in small areas for accessories or accents)

Examples of  Tetradic:

TIPS:

- Use NEUTRAL COLORS to break up the colors if you find it too colorful. For example: grays, wood and black & white. 

- If ever you are not a fan of colors yet but would like to add a pop of color to your space, how about an accent wall or accent colors for furniture or accessories? You can start with white everything, then use accent colors on pillows and accessories.

- Go have a bold play on colors if you want a colorful home.

Draw or look at the color wheel if you are having a hard time mixing and matching colors. 

WHAT WENT ON DURING THE EVENT: 

They served snacks for their guests. The cookies taste so good. I love a good cookie!

At the question portion, Ms. Arsenio was asked how to make this area more appealing or striking to the eyes, her reply was to add colorful pillows as an accent.

From left to right: Ms. Denise Ayna Daquioag (Marketing Officer of The Meridian CoHo), me, and IDr. Francesca Arsenio, PIID

After the event, I approached Ms. Arsenio for an advice on how should I implement colors at home because I am a person who loves plants, we have tons of it here at home. She advised that I should just stick with white walls and neutral palette to make the plants stand out. But since I love color pink too, she stated that I could also use pink as an accent wall. 

Before I end this post I would like to thank Ms. Denise for inviting me and for Ms. Arsenio for shedding light into this topic. It feels nice to learn something new! I actually get to apply all that I have learned. It made choosing colors easy peasy. 

How about you? Have you chosen what colors you will use for your interior? If you did, mind sharing it with me in the comment section? 

For more information about Pine Suites Tagaytay...

https://www.camellapinesuitestagaytay.com/

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