Living in colour

Looking for a little interior inspiration? Are your rooms feeling a little dull? Injecting some vibrancy and colour into your home is not as hard as it may seem. We can’t all be interior designers, but some key design rules can help guide you in a little DIY home refresh. Winter doesn’t have to be dark and dreary. Here are a few tips and rules to follow to get some much-needed brightness into your abode.

60-30-10 rule

This rule is your new best friend, as it will help keep your space balanced. No matter what colours you go with, using 60-30-10 will ensure the room looks cohesive. Using this rule, you will select three colours, and use them according to a different percentage. Your most dominant colour will take up about 60 percent of the room. Usually, this will be a neutral or more subdued hue. Your secondary colour, which is typically a bit bolder than the last, takes up about 30 percent of the space. And finally, the last colour is your accent colour, your boldest shade, taking up about 10 percent of the space.

Warm and cool

Choosing between warm and cool colours is important depending on which room you are working with. Warm colours, such as red, orange and yellow are more vibrant, and great for entertaining and dining rooms. This is because they are upbeat and give a welcoming feel to the space. Cool colours, including blue, green and grey, are a lot more subdued. Because of this, they work best in spaces where calmer energy is wanted, such as the bedroom, bathroom or office.

Complementary colour scheme

This is a simple rule when working with colour, as it only includes two shades. Complementary colours sit directly opposite each other on the colour wheel. Combinations include blue and orange, yellow and purple, and green and red. These pairings are extremely high contrast, which means that they bring strong vibrance into any space, so using them in smaller doses can be best. You can think of them as your accent colours, and use plenty of neutrals to balance them out.