The most important, but also the most difficult thing when it comes to interior design, is to create a cohesive theme and unity. This applies both to the choice of decor elements and to color combinations. You want the colors you choose to work together and create a harmonious home. The easiest way to achieve harmony and balance is to start with base and accent colors. Continue reading for a detailed guide on how to decorate your home with the right color combinations.
What are Base and Accent Colors?
The base color is the dominant color in the room, often the wall color. It is common to choose a neutral and calm color as the base color. Common base colors are white, black, beige, gray, or muted hues with a lot of black in them. However, a room decorated only in base colors can easily become boring; accent colors are needed to contrast with the base colors. Accent colors catch your attention when you enter a room and make it more lively. Remember that these colors should either match the base color or complement it!
How to Choose the Right Accent Colors
It is important to have a plan when choosing accent colors. For a cohesive result, you should choose a small palette of colors (color scheme) and stick to it when selecting decor items. This palette can be carried throughout the home, but at least in three of the rooms. This is how you create a cohesive theme, but also an easier home to decorate because you can move items from room to room. Additionally, you will always know which color combinations match your decor. Make sure that an accent color appears at least three times in a room.
Start with the base color when choosing colors for your color scheme with accent colors. What is the dominant color tone in the home? The advantage of base colors such as white, gray, and beige is that you can choose almost any accent color. Remember that when choosing a color, you contribute a certain feeling to a room. Warm colors like red and orange feel exciting and intimate, while cool colors like green and blue have a calming effect.
If you already have decor items at home that you really like, you can base your color scheme on their color settings. What colors does your favorite poster, headboard, or sofa cushions have?
If you want to get better at decorating your home with stylish posters, you can read our article with tips and inspiration for hanging posters.
Start with the Color Wheel
The color wheel is a great tool when choosing accent colors. It typically contains twelve colors, but you can add as many as you like. Start with one of the twelve primary colors and then choose a lighter or darker shade depending on your preference. The amount of black or white in the color determines the shade.
If you want your accent color to stand out, you can take two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel, with the dominant base color on one side and the accent color on the other. There will be a strong contrast between the accent color and the dominant base color.
Our Best Tips – How to Choose Decor in Lovely Color Combinations
We encourage you to invite lovely color combinations when choosing decor for your home. Start with your accent colors. You don't need to use all the colors in every room, and it's okay to introduce an additional color if you feel it fits. Below we go through some of our best tips for decorating with color at home.
- Be playful in your color choices but don't overdo it. Stick to a couple of your accent colors and introduce an extra color if you feel it fits. Classic base colors like white and gray also work as colors for decor items.
- Think about the room you are decorating. What type of room is it, and what is it for? And what do you want to feel when you are in the room? The choice of color combinations is very important, especially when choosing decor for a bedroom meant for relaxation.
- Feel free to create a mood board that includes the colors from your palette. Make sure it includes everything from furniture to materials and the choice of paintings, cushions, and other decorations.
If You Have Green Walls
Green walls are very forgiving. You can add many accent colors without the room feeling too busy – the other colors will instead come into their own.
It is more natural for us to let our eyes rest on colors like green, blue, or brown. If you are unsure about the color combinations in your decor, avoid dark green and lime. Pink and green are two colors that always go together.
If You Have Blue Walls
Blue is a highly appreciated color, especially in rooms where calm and harmony are prioritized. Additionally, the color looks good with all types of wood, so feel free to choose a wooden frame for paintings and posters that adorn the blue walls. You can also experiment with more striking color combinations – such as blue and green. For a dramatic effect, you could also decorate with the color combination of blue and red. Even muted colors like yellow-green can be exciting with blue.
If You Have Pink Walls
Pink is a soft color that adds warmth to a room and works well with most other colors. For a subdued style, you can mix pink with a muted blue or green tone. With gray tones and white, you instead get a classic combination. If you want to increase the temperature and create excitement, you can match pink with burgundy and yellow, but also golden details. Check out Posterton's gold frames that fit perfectly on a pink wall.