You’re ready to update your interior—it’s time for a change, and you’re excited to start planning a remodel that will best represent your style and personality. But can you do this without the help of a professional? Can you achieve great results without spending a lot of money for a designer, money that you’d really prefer to put back into your home? Of course you can! If you’re willing to put in a little time, you can create a truly personal design that will most accurately reflect the mood and feeling you want your home to convey.
Color plays a huge part in creating an atmosphere in a room. When you think about updating color in your home, you might immediately think about refreshing the paint on your walls, or purchasing new, more colorful furniture. While those are great options, you should consider updating your window treatments. Colorful window treatments are quick and easy way to refresh your home; they’re less work than painting, and less expensive than purchasing new furniture. Nowadays, window treatments come in an amazing array of textures, colors, and patterns; you can find something to suit any mood. Let’s look at some of the ways you can utilize color to bring your vision to life—no designer required.
Color Preferences
When you’re asked, “What’s your favorite color?” you probably have an answer at the ready. However, choosing a color for your window treatment isn’t quite as simple as deciding which color you like best. There are more factors at play than simple preference. You need to think about the mood you want the space to reflect as well as the room’s purpose.
Prior to choosing your color palette, you should ask yourself the following questions:
- How do I want to feel when I enter the room? (Do you want it to be calm, cozy, energetic, etc?)
- Do I want this room to feel warm or cool?
- What’s the common factor that my favorite rooms share?
- What patterns draw my attention?
- Are there textures that would enhance the room’s appeal?
- Do I have any particular associations with specific colors?
After you’ve carefully considered these questions, you should be better prepared to make a firm decision about your color scheme. Take some time to look for examples of your chosen colors used in design; you can look through magazines or catalogs and scroll Pinterest to find inspiration to help you hone in on your design choices.
Color Basics
You’ve known your colors since early childhood, and you probably can name them with ease. But, did you know that there are twelve colors in the color wheel? That’s the tool used by artists and designers to help them determine how colors will look together. This wheel is made up of three categories:
Primary: Red, yellow, and blue
Secondary: Green, orange, and purple
Tertiary: These are six colors that result from mingling secondary and primary colors.
Explore the combinations that are available, and see how the scheme that you’ve chosen will blend with the palette that already exists within your home.
Choose the Temperature
Even if you’re a design novice, you’re probably aware that certain colors create an ambience of warmth or coolness. You’ve heard the expression “red hot” or “cool blue,” and you probably recognize that those colors have very specific temperature connotations.
Colors in the “warm” category are reds, yellows, and oranges. They’re considered lively and active, and they create a feeling of energy in your space. Using colors within this color range can be tricky; you don’t want to make the room feel smaller than it is, and that’s a real possibility when you use a warm color to excess. These colors are best used as a pop of color, enlivening a neutral space—that’s why these colors work so well for window treatments.
If you’re looking to bring some chill into your environment, greens and blues are your best bet. They evoke feelings of peace and tranquility; window treatments within this range will bring calm into your space, working especially effectively in places like bedrooms and playrooms.
Neutral might equal boring in your mind, but don’t count it out! The neutral palette includes colors such as white, taupe, tan, or beige, and it’s an excellent showcase for more vibrant pieces. You don’t want to create a battleground for patterns or colors within your space, so a nice neutral window treatment will add a feeling of layer and texture to your space. You can get more adventurous with your choices in art or furniture if you have a neutral background.
Ok, you’ve taken the time to consider the colors you love and how you want them to work within the room. Now it’s time to experiment! Beach Bungalow Blinds would love to chat with you about your window treatment needs— contact us today!
