Interior Design Tips: Chapter 1, Color

Happy Saturday Friends!

It's a hot one here in Fresno, California...98 degrees and counting...

I think I'm done with the summer...ready for cozy sweatshirts, rainy days, and crackling fire places..

Ahhhhhhh.....

Anywho, I am going to start a series of five posts that focus on Interior Design Tips...

Here are the posts to look forward to:

Chapter 1: Color

Chapter 2: Living Rooms

Chapter 3: Small Bedrooms

Chapter 4: Kitchens

Chapter 5: Bedrooms

I'm not really sure when each one will be posted, because I am a busy girl, with a full-time job and life!

Ok the full-time job part is true, but the whole "full time life" part...not so true!

I'm a home-body at heart...I love to snuggle up on the sofa with the Bailey dawg on a Saturday night...my secrets out....I'm a hermit:-)

How did I get on this topic anyway?!!

Ok...here it goes... :)

Chapter 1: Design Tips For Color

1. Pick your color 

Find the perfect palette that creates a scheme that fits your home and personality.

This photo is from Kasey Buick's home...it is SOOOOO beautiful...visit her blog here!

2. Use the 60-30-10 Rule

When decorating a particular room, divide the colors into percentages. 

60% of a dominant color

30% of a secondary color

10% of an accent color

You'll notice that the rooms you like the most in magazines are almost invariably divided into percentages of 60-30-10. Why this works is anybody's guess.

3. Start Small

If you're not sure where to begin with color, experiment in a powder room or bathroom, a small hall or area between rooms, or an accent wall.  To get started, select a favorite color drawn from artwork, a rug, dishes and an accessory or furniture piece as a main color or accent.

4. Learn the Color Terms

It helps to understand the terminology used to describe color.

--Hue is what we call a color. Red is the hue; blue is the hue.

--The value of the hue is how light or dark it is.

--Saturation refers to how dominant the hue is. As we go from red to pink, the red hue becomes less dominant.

-- Intensity is the brilliance of the color. The pure colors such as red are more intense than the combined colors such as yellow-green. A stronger intense color usually has a more dominant hue.

If you want a more active space, consider introducing stronger, more intense color. Even if you want a light-colored room, choose colors that are slightly more saturated than off-white or light pastel. Very light color can feel bright and stark when it appears on all surfaces in a room. However, two or more medium-light, closely related pastel colors can create a luminous effect when used in the same room.

5. Test Your Color Choices

Boost your confidence by testing colors on poster board or large areas of a wall.

Don't be afraid to go beyond your comfort zone: Consider strong, vivid colors or soft, deep neutrals like chocolate brown or olive green as main or accent colors. Or add drama with a stronger color on the ceiling.

Tinted ceilings can dramatically change the whole look of a room.

 Hope you all have found this first chapter informative!!  I even learned a few things!! :)

Do you want to know what your color personality is?  If so, click on the on the highlighted area below... 

Color Personality Quiz