How to use a Colour Wheel in Interior Design

Colour theory and the colour wheel

Have you ever wondered how interior designers find the perfect colour combination? Does it seem like a dark art like something out of Harry Potter that you just aren't sure how to get right?

Well interior designers use a colour theory. Color theory is a practical combination of art and science that’s used to determine which colours look good together. The colour wheel was invented in 1666 by Isaac Newton, who mapped the colour spectrum onto a circle. The colour wheel is the basis of colour theory, because it shows the relationship between colours and how they are made.

Image UXPlanet.org

There are two types of colour wheel. The RYB (red, yellow, blue) colour wheel is typically used by artists, as it helps with combining paint colours. Then there is the RGB, (red, green and blue) colour wheel, which is designed for online use, as it refers to mixing light – like on a computer or TV screen.

Color combinations

Complementary

These are the two colours that are on opposite sides of the colour wheel. This combination provides a high contrast and high impact colour combination. When they are used together, colours will appear brighter and more prominent.

Image UXPlanet.org

Monochromatic

This is when three shades, tones and tints of one dominant colour are used. It provides a subtle colour combination when used in this way. This is a versatile colour combination that is easy to apply to design projects for a more harmonious look.

Image UXPlanet.org

Analogous

This is achieved when using three colours that are side by side on the colour wheel. This colour combination is versatile, but can sometimes be overwhelming because there are lots of prominent colour types in use. To balance an analogous colour scheme, choose one dominant colour, and use the others as accents by using the suggested 60/30/10 colour ratio approach.

Image UXPlanet.org

Triadic

This is when three colours that are evenly spaced on the colour wheel are used. This provides a high contrast colour scheme, but less so than the complementary colour combination. This therefore makes it more versatile. This combination creates bold, vibrant colour palettes.

Image UXPlanet.org

Tetradic

Four colours that are evenly spaced on the colour wheel. Tetradic colour schemes are bold and work best if you let one colour be dominant, and use the others as accents such as using a 60/20/20/20 approach. The more colours you have in your palette, the more difficult it can be to balance them all to look pleasing, so this idea can be a little more tricky to implement.

Image UXPlanet.org

Primary, secondary and tertiary colours

There are 12 main colours on the colour wheel. Here's a bit of a recap on colours if its been a while since you did anything on this (for me I remember this back in primary school art class!)

The colour wheel can be divided into primary, secondary and tertiary colours.

Primary colours

In the RYB colour wheel, primary colours are colours that can’t be mixed from other colours. There are three primary colours: red, yellow, and blue.

Secondary colours are colours that result from mixing two primary colours. There are three secondary colours. In the RYB colour wheel, the secondary colours are purple (red mixed with blue), orange (red mixed with yellow), and green (yellow mixed with blue).

Tertiary colours are colours made by combining a secondary colour with a primary colour. There are six tertiary colours.

In the RYB colour wheel, the tertiary colours are red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet.

Warm and cool colours

The colour wheel can also be divided into warm and cool colours. The warmth or coolness of a colour is also known as its colour temperature. The colour combinations found on a colour wheel often have a balance of warm and cool colours. According to colour psychology, different colour temperatures evoke different feelings. Warm colours are said to bring to mind coziness and relaxation, while cool colours are associated with serenity and rejuvenation.

Warm colours are the colours from red through to yellow. Cool colours are the colours from blue to green and purple.

Shades, tints and tones

You can create shades, tints and tones of a colour by adding black, grey and white to a base colour.

Shade

A shade is created by adding black to a base hue, darkening the colour. This creates a deeper, richer colour. Shades can be quite dramatic and can be overpowering.

Tint

A tint is created by adding white to a base hue, lightening the colour. This can make a colour less intense, and is useful when balancing more vivid colour combinations.

Tones

A tone is created by combining black and white—or grey—with a base hue. Like tints, tones are subtler versions of the original colour. Tones are less likely to look pastel, and can reveal complexities not apparent in the base colour.

Hue, Saturation and Luminance

A hue is basically any colour on the colour wheel. When you are using a colour wheel or a colour picker, you can adjust the saturation and luminance of a hue.

Saturation is the intensity or purity of the colour.

Luminance is the amount of brightness or light in a colour.

Color meanings and colour schemes

Did you know that the colour royal blue was created in the 1800s for Queen Charlotte? I love this Lick Paint which was released following the pandemic and is number '111' which I just love. I'd love to use this colour in my own home or in an upcoming project... I just need to decide where!

' Just because we’ve stopped clapping doesn’t mean we’ve stopped caring. So we blended a bright, bold, cobalt NHS blue, with a matt finish to keep your wall looking smooth and blemish-free. Better still, all proceeds from Blue 111 get donated to NHS charities.' Lick Website

I hope you found this deeper look in to colours, how they are made and how best to use them, helpful. If you want to chat anything more through, then just get in touch.

You can email me at hello@laurenmayinteriors.com or call/ text on 07712185467. You can find out more about my Services on my website www.laurenmayinteriors.com and my portfolio projects. There are also some lovely kind words from some of the people I've worked with so you start to get an idea of what it would be like to work with me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Lauren X