The Ultimate Guide to Colour

A combination of tones and shades from the same colour family can be subtle yet striking in its simplicity.

Two colours opposite each other on the colour wheel provide a great balance of warmth and coolness in a room.

A central colour, alongside two colours on each side of its opposite, can create a dramatic contrast for people looking to make a bold expression in their home.

Colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel – as many as five of them – can combine to make your room a centre point of different tones.

Orange in your home can represent happiness and vitality. A favourite with young children and with cheerful, fun, active adults. It was fashionable in the Art Deco period, often teamed with sharp lime green, cool blue or black.

Yellow is often associated with personal power, will and confidence. It creates a warm, welcoming, cheerful and uplifting mood.

Blue indicates a desire for order and peace. Blue has a calming effect. It’s a great colour to cool down a hot sunny room and is often used in high rise apartments connecting with the sky outside.

On a cold grey day, red rooms can feel very comforting and inviting. A popular colour for dining rooms and is enhanced by the soft flicker of candlelight. In homes, red can give off a richness & and sense of luxury

Pink is a softer variation of red. The lighter the tone, the more delicate and feminine the effect. Soft and muted pinks are thought to be physically soothing and calming. Very strong pinks such as fuschia and magenta can be highly stimulating. Pink flatters most skin tones.

Purple communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking that points us towards the future. Darker shades of plum and aubergine are more complex/ brooding. Paler purple is more delicate and cool; great for bedrooms

White, grey and black are “achromatic”, meaning they don’t strictly speaking belong to a colour group. Using a grey colour scheme can give you an opportunity to mix textures to give your room character. It can also can work effectively in rugged, masculine environments as natural materials, such as wood and stone, work with this palette.

Also absent from the colour wheel are cream, beige and brown. These natural colours do however contain undertones of the colours on the wheel. Cream, for example, has an undertone of yellow, while browns can be reddish-brown or bluish brown. Oatmeal tones need lots of natural light to keep looking fresh. Used on their own in different tonal values and with plenty of texture, they can create rooms of understated elegance that are relaxing to live in.

Green creates a balance of harmony and is thought to promote feelings of renewal. Designing with green brings the freshness of nature into a room. As in nature most shades of green work well together. Grass greens and emerald greens are powerful, especially in urban areas helping bring the outside in.

Aqua is a combination of the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green. Turquoise inspires us to think of crystal clear waters and escaping the city. It is a rejuvenative colour that gives us a relaxed and mellow feeling. Slightly darker, teal, is an advanced turquoise shade that can bring a cosy dynamic to your rooms.

If you want to add drama to a room, go dark. A refreshing break from the sunshine in the summer, it adapts in the winter to create a stunning atmosphere, particularly with candles and dimmed lights. Dark colours have an ability to infuse interiors with sophistication.