People often struggle with creating a great color scheme.   In my recent series of blog articles we discussed how you could take your favorite color, blue for example, and create different color schemes. We explored monochromatic, analogous, Complimentary, Diad, Triad, Tetrad, Split-Complimentary and Double Complimentary.

Today, lets talk about using black, white and shades of gray.  

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, Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Triad ,  Great Color Schemes- Try a Tetrad and Great Color Schemes- Try a Split Complimentary and Great Color Schemes- Try a Double-Complimentary.  See examples of those color schemes below.

Technically, using black, white or grays  is really a monochromatic color scheme and could be done with any color. If you take the color and adjust it’s chroma or saturation level to the lowest you can go, you get white. If you adjust it a little higher, you get shades of gray. If you adjust it to the maximum it becomes black.

Most people do not think of black, white and gray as actually being a color. Many people like to work with these colors as they think it is a very neutral color palette.

Let’s play around with a design I created that uses mainly black, white and gray home decor items where I mainly changed the wall color or treatment to create drama or highlight different things.

Design

 In this design I created maximum drama by using black walls which a striking due to the color, but I also used shiny wall tiles which also add texture and reflect light. The dark walls recede, giving a feeling of being cocooned and enveloped within the color. The color also highlights the black design in the area rug, making it pop.

In the design below, I used wall paper in white with a gray diamond pattern. The wall, although it still has texture and interest due to the pattern, disappears with the light color, putting more emphasis on the view outside.

In the design below, the gray paint color feels cool and elegant, and creates more of a connection with the furnishings and decor of the gray sofas and the accent pillows.

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.

 

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

Design Ideas to Highlight More Gray

Here are some additional ideas to highlight more grays in your design.

Design Ideas to Highlight More White

Here are some other ideas to highlight more whites in your design.

Benefits of A Black, White and Gray Color Scheme

• A black, white and gray scheme is fairly easy to put together. It is best if you keep you black, white and grays all within the same color family so they are harmonious.  
• A black, white and gray scheme can be really dramatic or relaxing based on the saturation and placement of the colors you choose. Dark gray and black walls are more dramatic than white walls.
• A black, white and gray scheme really highlights any other colors that are used, or the colors of the views outside.
• Very nice for living rooms, dining rooms and areas that you like to entertain.  

Create Beauty with Color in Your Space

Each moment in life is YOUR choice. surround yourself with BEAUTY, color and positive energy now.

Or not, it’s up to you.

Everything in life is easier when you love your space.When your space is better, you are better. When you are better, the world is better. 

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

A tetrad uses four colors  which include two complimentary color pairings. It can be difficult to balance  if you use all four colors in equal amounts it may feel like too much. You can use one to three colors as dominant colors and and let the rest be more subdued. By subdued, I mean you can use less of the colors proportionally.  Or you could use less saturated versions of the colors so they don’t stand out as much, but color schemes tend to look more harmonious if you are using similar saturation or chroma levels. Here are some examples.

Let’s create a split-complimentary color scheme with the blue we have been working with in the last several articles. You can see this 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 , Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Triad ,  Great Color Schemes- Try a Tetrad and Great Color Schemes- Try a Split Complimentary.  See examples of those color schemes below.

In a double complementary color scheme, you use a primary color such as our blue, its compliment yellow, and then the pair of complimentary colors of one of its neighbors on either side such as blue/purple and yellow/green or blue/green and orange.

Double Complimentary Color Schemes Illustrations by Camp Chroma, the Best Color Training Ever!

Design 1

With a Double-Complimentary scheme we are working with 4 colors, or two sets of compliments. We have a large variety of tints, tones and shades to play with within those colors, but it is always most harmonious if you work with colors with similar chroma (saturation).  In other words it looks best if you are not mixing rich, bright colors with pastels. You can get dramatic or keep it more neutral based on the colors you choose.  I find adding rich color to the walls creates drama, while using a more neutral wall color feels more relaxing.

In this design I used the blue/yellow compliment pair in the sofas and the beautiful area rug.  I used the green/yellow of the neighboring compliment pair in the area rug, pillows and my fractal art.  I decided to bring in purple in small amounts as an accent, and used plants with purple flowers to highlight that color.  

In the examples above, I created drama by using a more saturated shade of  blue for the wall color. To create a more neutral look, I created a second version below where I used the same color but with very low saturation so it is almost gray.

Shop the Look- Design 1

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.

 

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

Design #2

In this second design I used the blue/yellow complimentary pair again but this time worked with blue/green and orange. I found a beautiful area rug as an inspiration piece that has the blue, blue green, orange and a touch of yellow to tie everything together. I highlighted the orange in the 3 poufs. I used the blue/green in the pillows, the wall color and in my “Jenna” fractal art collection. The yellow I used as a small accent with flowers or flower vases.

Shop the Look Design #2

Here is a closer view of my fractal art collection called “Jenna” which I created in honor of Jenna Gaidusek of the Edesign Tribe when creating something for her office with her favorite colors. In my design, the art is on canvas prints, but they are available framed or on a variety of materials as well as on other home decor in my store at Society 6.

Benefits of A Double Complimentary Color Scheme

• A double complimentary color scheme is easy to put together using 4 colors.  You can give all colors equal weight in the design for more drama, or make one or two colors more dominant based on the mood you want to create. The challenge will be trying not allow too many strong colors to compete with each other. Vary the saturation or better yet, the amount of the colors showing by making 1-2 colors as accents.
• A double complimentary color scheme 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 or office.

Create Beauty with Color in Your Space

EACH MOMENT IN LIFE IS YOUR CHOICE.

YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH beautiful color RIGHT NOW.

OR NOT, IT’S UP TO YOU.

EVERYTHING IS EASIER WHEN YOU LOVE YOUR SPACE.

What is Your Global Design Style? Take the Quiz

Download my Brochure

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Pin These

Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.

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

A double-complimentary scheme uses four colors  which include two complimentary color pairings. It can be difficult to balance  if you use all four colors in equal amounts it may feel like too much. You can use one to three colors as dominant colors and and let the rest be more subdued. By subdued, I mean you can use less of the colors proportionally.  Or you could use less saturated versions of the colors so they don’t stand out as much, but color schemes tend to look more harmonious if you are using similar saturation or chroma levels. Here are some examples.

Let’s create a split-complimentary color scheme with the blue we have been working with in the last several articles. You can see this 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 , Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Triad and Great Color Schemes- Try a Tetrad. See examples of those color schemes below.

In a split complementary color scheme, you use a primary color such as our blue, and then the two analogous colors to its complement. In this case it’s compliment is yellow and yellow/red and green/yellow are next to yellow or analogous colors to yellow.  

Split Complimentary Color Scheme Illustrations by Camp Chroma, the Best Color Training Ever!

The Design

With a split-Complimentary scheme we are working with 3 colors. We have a large variety of tints, tones and shades to play with within those colors, but it is always most harmonious if you work with colors with similar chroma (saturation).  In other words it looks best if you are not mixing rich, bright colors with pastels. You can get dramatic or keep it more neutral based on the colors you choose.  I find adding rich color to the walls creates drama, while using a more neutral wall color feels more relaxing.

For example, below I created a split complimentary  scheme with our blue sofas as the base color.  I used red/orange in the rug, pillows and in the wall color where I used a very unsaturated, neutral tint of orange/red.

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

The design, although using 3 colors still feels fairly neutral and calm with some pops of color for excitement.

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. 

Design 2

 In this second version of the design, all I changed was the wall color, which is a more saturated or has higher chroma than the color I used in design 1. As you can see, it looks much more dramatic with the rich wall color.

Benefits of A Split Complimentary Color Scheme

• A split complimentary color scheme is easy to put together using 3 colors.  You can give all three colors equal weight in the design for more drama, or make one or two colors more dominant based on the mood you want to create.
• A split complimentary color scheme 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 or office.

Create Beauty with Color in Your Space

EACH MOMENT IN LIFE IS YOUR CHOICE.

YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH beautiful color RIGHT NOW.

OR NOT, IT’S UP TO YOU.

EVERYTHING IS EASIER WHEN YOU LOVE YOUR SPACE.

What is Your Global Design Style? Take the Quiz

Download my Brochure

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Pin These

Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.

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

A tetrad uses four colors  which include two complimentary color pairings. It can be difficult to balance  if you use all four colors in equal amounts it may feel like too much. You can use one to three colors as dominant colors and and let the rest be more subdued. By subdued, I mean you can use less of the colors proportionally.  Or you could use less saturated versions of the colors so they don’t stand out as much, but color schemes tend to look more harmonious if you are using similar saturation or chroma levels. Here are some examples.

Let’s create a tetrad color scheme with the blue we have been working with in the last several articles. You can see this 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 and Great Paint Color Schemes- Try a Triad. See examples of those color schemes below.

There are three different Tetrads we could choose from that use our blue (which is a blue/purple). For this article, lets work with the first two.

Tetrad Color Scheme Illustrations by Camp Chroma, the Best Color Training Ever!

The Design

With a tetrad you are using 4 colors and have a large variety of tints, tones and shades to play with within those colors. You can get dramatic or keep it mpre neutral based on the colors you choose. 

For example, below I created a tetrad with our blue as in the sofas as the base color. It’s compliment is yellow. I chose to use yellow in the wall color, in a  a less saturated and lighter yellow than in it’s blue compliment to keep it more neutral. I also used yellow in the buff colored leather ottomans and an accent in the flowers on the coffee table.

The other pair of compliments are the red/purple and green. I used the red/purple in the area rug, and the green in the pillows, pouf and plants and the art.

The rest of the design I kept neutral with the white chairs, accent tables and lamps and plant stands.

Overall in this design the blue and red-purple are most dominant, followed by the green and with yellow mainly as an accent. 

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

The design, although using 4 colors still feels fairly neutral and calm with some pops of color for excitement.

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. 

Design 2

In this second version of a tetrad design, I once again used blue in the sofas and a soft neutral yellow paint color as it’s complement as in the first design.

 I added the blue green from the second pair of complements into a new area rug (which also ties in the deep blue, yellow and greens). I maintained the green pillows and pouf and added the red in with the two ottomans and the flower centerpiece on the coffee table. As you can see, this time the red is just an accent, where as the blue, blue green and yellow are more dominant.

The design, although using 4 colors still also feels fairly neutral and calm with some pops of color for excitement.

If you wanted to get more dramatic, you could pull in one of the 4 colors with greater saturation or chroma in the wall color as I did below. In this case, I used the blue-green and it changes the whole look and feel, even though everything else is the same.

Shop the Look- Design #2

Benefits of A Tetrad Color Scheme

• A tetrad color scheme is relatively easy to put together using two sets of complimentary colors.  The tricky part is determining which colors you want to be more dominant, and balancing the rest so it is not overwhelming.
• Tetrad 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 how many colors you allow to be more dominant, and how much weight each carries in the design. Each color brings it’s own feeling to the space so highlight one over the others to get the mood you want.

Create Beauty with Color in Your Space

EACH MOMENT IN LIFE IS YOUR CHOICE.

YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH BEAUTY RIGHT NOW.

OR NOT, IT’S UP TO YOU.

EVERYTHING IS EASIER WHEN YOU LOVE YOUR SPACE.

What is Your Global Design Style? Take the Quiz

Download my Brochure

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Pin These

Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Create Beauty with Color in Your Space

EACH MOMENT IN LIFE IS YOUR CHOICE.

YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH BEAUTY RIGHT NOW.

OR NOT, IT’S UP TO YOU.

EVERYTHING IS EASIER WHEN YOU LOVE YOUR SPACE.

What is Your Global Design Style? Take the Quiz

Download my Brochure

Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimer

Prices subject to change without notice.

Call 907-362-0065 today

 info@northernlightsstaging.com

Pin These

Click on the picture to find out more about the best training class on color available, the Four Pillars of Color!.