People often struggle with creating a great color scheme. In my last few blog articles we have discussed how you could take your favorite color, blue for example and create different color schemes. We explored monochromatic, analogous, complimentary and diad color schemes. Today, lets look at a Triad!

A triad uses three colors with the equal distance between all colors on the color wheel, causing no clear dominance of one color.

So, let’s create a triad color scheme with the blue we have been working with in the last several articles. You can see the blue in the sofas. To catch up on these other color schemes see my articles Celebrate Your Favorite Color- Go Monochromatic and Create a Harmonious Color Scheme- Go Analogous, Opposite Colors Attract, Go Complimentary and Great Paint Color Schemes- Do a Diad. See examples of those color schemes below.

Celebrate your favorite color- go monochromatic! Edesign by NOrthern Lights Home Staging and Design — Monochromatic Color Scheme

Analogous Color Scheme 2. Northern Lights Home Staging and Design — Analogous Color Scheme

Complimentary Color Scheme Edesign by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design — Complimentary Color Scheme

Edesign using a Diad color scheme by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design — Triad Color Scheme

To create a triad with our blue (which is a blue/purple), we will add reds and greens.

Triad Color Scheme. Graphic by Camp Chroma. — A Triad- Created by Camp Chroma- The Best Color Training Ever.

The Design

With a triad, you are using 3 colors and have a large variety of tints, tones and shades to play with within those colors. You can get dramatic or keep it simple based on the colors you choose. For example, below I created a triad with our blue as in the sofas as the base color and incorporating reds in the rug and pillows and greens in the pouf, lamps, art, plants and wall color. I used saturated colors from each of the hue families. The deep rich wall color creates a more dramatic look.

Great Color Schemes- Try a Triad
Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Triad

If drama is not your thing, you can tone it down by changing the saturation of the wall color. Below, the only thing I changed was the wall color, which is still green, but with such low saturation levels it is approaching a gray. This more neutral colored wall creates a more serene atmosphere.

Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Triad
Great Color Schemes- Try a Triad

My design also incorporates some of my unique fractal art from my “Spring” Collection.

Spring Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design — Spring Fractal Art by Nofthern Lights Home Staging and Design

Spring #2 Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design — Spring 2 Fractal Art by Northern Lights Home Staging and Design

Shop the Look

Check out the pieces I selected for this design. Some include affiliate links, meaning I receive a small commission for sharing at no additional cost to you.

I selected pieces of various materials with different textures and patterns within the 3 hue families.

Benefits of A Triad Color Scheme

A triad color scheme is relatively easy to put together. Pick your favorite color and find 2 neighbors, equal distant apart on the color wheel.
Triad color schemes can be really dramatic or relaxing based on the saturation and placement of the colors you choose. Very nice for living rooms, dining rooms and areas that you like to entertain. You could try the more relaxing color combinations in a bedroom, especially if you are using blues and greens.
You can play with this color scheme for different effects by having one color as the dominant color and the other 2 as accents, or give all colors equal weights. Each color brings it’s own feeling to the space so highlight one over the others to get the mood you want.