Design Tips

Color 101

Color Your World

Our homes have become colorful places - with "ooh-la-la" red on walls to turquoise haze in our bedrooms! Whether you're venturing into color for the first time or are re-thinking a current color scheme, it's important to know how color impacts a room and its window treatments.

The first thing to consider is the actual room you are decorating. What will you use it for? Does it receive plenty or little sunlight? Answering these questions will help you decide what colors to choose. For example, you may not want bright colors if you are trying to create a relaxing bedroom. If you will use your room only at night, choose colors and fabrics in that lighting.

If your room features south facing windows, use colors on the windows to drop the room's temperature a degree or two. A general rule is to choose warm, muted colors and soft textures for north and east windows. If you are dressing south or west windows, use cooler colors.

Create the mood

Warm Colors (red, red-orange, orange-yellow, orange, yellow-green, yellow) - These colors tend to stimulate, are informal and casual and create friendly interiors. People talk, take risks and are noisier in warm rooms.

Cool Colors (blue, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, green) - These colors are relaxing, more formal, and less approachable. People tend to be more reserved, better behaved and less talkative in cool interiors.

Get Comfortable with Color

Once you're ready to make your color decisions, think of colors you are comfortable in. Open up your closet and look at your clothing. The colors you feel most comfortable wearing also will make you comfortable in a room. Select one or two colors you like best to start with when building a color scheme for the room.

Color Schemes

Plan to use three colors for your room. One should be dominant, or about 60% of the treatment (the blinds, the drapery panels, the dominant fabric). The second color should cover 30%. This is contrast lining, under sheers, coordinating valances, banding and top treatments. The third color should accent the room. It accounts for about 10% of the color, and is found in the details like cording, ruffles, tiebacks, buttons, etc.

• Analogous Color Scheme

  This color scheme can be either warm or cool. It's the use of colors that are next to each other on the color wheel (yellow, yellow-green, and green). Choose one color to dominate, one color to complement, and use the over-lapping color as the accent. Vary intensity and values so the colors don't compete with each other.

• Complementary Color Scheme

  This scheme uses colors opposite each other on the color wheel (red and green). It pairs a cool color with a warm color. Let one color dominate and use the other as a complement (remember to vary intensity here too). The largest areas on the window treatment are most beautiful when neutralized by its complement. To draw attention and create a focal point, use brighter colors against lighter values of its complement.

• Triadic Color Scheme

  This color scheme is built by three colors that form a triangle on the wheel (red, blue and yellow, or green, violet and orange). This color scheme works well when doing kids or thematic rooms.

• Split Complementary Color Scheme

  This color scheme is made up of three colors. Choose the first color (your dominant one) and find its complement (opposite) on the color wheel. Then use the color on either side of the complement as the other two colors in the scheme. For example, if you choose red, its complement is green, then use blue-green and yellow-green as the other two colors in the scheme.

Adapted from Graberblinds.com

Color Trends: 2007-2008

Colors you will be seeing in the years ahead.

Red
Blue-infused reds move to burgundies with a touch of raspberry. In 2008, the trend moves to saturated Chinese red and retro berry-toned mauves.

Orange
Orange becomes more upscale as it moves toward a toned down, deeper copper tone. Also look for pink-orange corals as well as spicy oranges.

Yellow
Bright yellow is best used as an accent while a soft, creamy neutral yellow has become classic. In 2008, look for a classic gold as well as green-influenced golds that move toward khaki.

Green
While dark hunter green remains classic, look for brighter, botanical greens as well as sage greens, spa greens, mossy greens, olives, celadon, and celery.

Blue
Spa-like colors ranging from watery aqua to deeper, tropical lagoon dominate the color palette along will robin's egg blue and dark, rich turquoise. Navy blue remains classic, while new versions of dark blue move toward lapis and midnight blue.

Purple
Purple is an important accent color. Lilac and blue-influenced light purple will be popular in 2007, while 2008 sees purple moving toward gray and brown.

Brown
Camel, tan, taupe, and brown-influenced creams are important neutrals, as well as rich chocolate browns.

Gray
Soft, brown-influenced grays dominate in 2007, while in 2008, gray will darken to pewter, storm cloud gray, and flannel.

Adapted from Graberblinds.com