Picking the right complementary colours for your home can transform the space into something really beautiful.
Even though complementary colours are opposite on the colour wheel, they appear brighter when blended. There’s actually a science to it. So when you see really gorgeous interiors on Pinterest or IG, it’s because careful colour matching has gone into them.
When you choose the right mix of subtle complementary colours, you can upgrade the look of your entire home.
Is it an eyesore or eye candy to mix pink and orange? In this article, you will find out how to pick complementary colours for your home decor.
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Understanding complementary colour schemes
The primary colours are red, yellow and blue. These are base colours for deriving other colours in the colour wheel.
Orange, green and purple make up the secondary colours. These colours are derived from mixing the primary colours; blue and red make purple, yellow and red make orange, while yellow and blue make green.
The tertiary colours come from mixing the primary and secondary colours. Identification of complementary colours is easy when you understand each colour’s derivation on the wheel.
On the wheel, complementary colours are precisely opposite the primary colours.
They are bold and dynamic and create beauty when used to paint a space. Cool and warm colours complement each other.
Cool colours like blue recede, but it stands out when complemented with a warm colour like orange.
When designers say colour has power, it’s best seen when complementary colours are appropriately placed.
When choosing colours for your home decor, pay attention to the colour wheel.
Complementary paint colours for your home
1. Red and green
These colours are mostly seen during festive periods or at Christmas. The mistletoe decoration comes in these two colours, and we can all admit how beautiful it looks.
When applied in the right hues, red and green will give your home a stunning look.
Green is a colour of relaxation and energy growth, and it depicts nature. Red is a colour for aggression and warmth.
Green and red in a home decor give your space a retro and modern look. Paint your walls green and complement them with red sofas or curtains.
2. Yellow and Purple
These two colours are the description of opposites attracting. The colour yellow has a pop that balances with the pop of purple.
While this colour looks suitable on outfits, you won’t be disappointed if they’re used on your interior in the right tint.
If your wall is painted in a dark rich purple colour, some artworks or the rug can be yellow.
Purple is a versatile colour and works well in the living room. Purple and yellow represent confidence, optimism and boldness, so why not?
3. Blue and orange
These two colours are attractive when paired together in a room. They appear opposite each other in the colour scheme.
Blue is the perfect complementary colour for warm colours like orange. It gives off a feeling of balance and harmony.
Blue is a soothing colour. Orange gives a joyful feeling and is perfect for interior decoration.
When you decide to use these two colours, pay attention to the hues. It is advisable to add neutral colours to the room.
This will balance the tone of your home decor. You can use a softer tone of orange in your bedroom to add a burst of brightness to other blue coloured decors.
Imagine how beautiful a blue sofa would look with an orange ottoman?
4. Yellow and Green
We know imagining these two colours together can seem scary, but they work perfectly in home decor.
It gives a 70’s retro pop of colour. Yellow and green are in the same palette on the colour scheme, but they complement and contrast.
While yellow gives off the pop, green gives a dark tint to the decoration. If you’re using yellow and green, it’s best to use them individually.
When you use patterns with these colours, it might be too retro for your taste. Here’s another great guide on adding contemporary pattern and colour to your home.
These two colours are natural tones. If you want to have a warm feel and enjoy the sunniest of spaces in your home, go for yellow and green.
5. Mint and pink
It’s okay to imagine this as the light version of green and red. Mint and pink are the saturated chromas of green and red on the colour wheel.
You can mellow out the hues of these colours with a neutral grey or white to give balance.
Mint is a warm colour, and pink is the perfect versatile colour for your home decor.
Remember, there are different shades of pink, so if you’re going for a dark mint colour, ensure the pink is in a light hue.
6. Red-orange and blue-green
Source: Visualhunt
It might sound like a lot of colours, but it isn’t. This combination gives a new view of the complementary colours on the colour wheel.
It has the right mix of vibrant colours and works well in a bedroom with an accent wall.
If you’re choosing blue-green to be the primary colour in your bedroom, you can mix the other colours in your decoration.
If it’s a room with two beds, you can mix up the colours of the sheets using red-orange and blue-green.
For something different, you can try the split complementary colours. It is a combination of three colours.
Here’s an example, if you decide to go for blue-green, the complementary colour is red-orange.
When you split the complement of blue-green, you will have red and orange.
Choose one colour on the wheel, and use one colour each from the two sides of the complementary wheel.
It gives you lots of colour options for your home decor.
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