The most frequently asked question during my color consultations is, "How do I create great color flow from room to room in my home?" Establishing color flow can be complicated, so consider these guidelines to help demystify this common concern.
Narrow Down The Color Palette
Assuming your furnishings and art have been determined, look for a common color inspiration either in your artwork, upholstery, rug or accessories. Do you own bold, colorful furnishings and art? If so, a neutral range of color choices for your walls may be just the thing to make your existing furnishings pop. If your furnishings are neutral in color, a bolder color scheme that complements the neutral furnishings can provide interest and warmth.
To create an overall color plan that either compliments or coordinates with your inspiration color, consider the following:
1. Repeating colors throughout your home is a guaranteed way to create a cohesive flow. To keep it from getting boring, select one shade on a paint card, and paint the adjoining rooms a lighter value of the same color or a darker value of the same color. This monochromatic approach creates a no-fail, sophisticated look.
2. Select a paint color on a paint chip card, and then select another color on a different paint chip card that complements that color and coordinates with your furnishings. Select colors from each of the paint chip cards that are in the same location on the paint chip card. These colors are the same depth of color (value), and using different colors that share the same depth of color is an excellent way to create harmony from room to room.
3. Be careful not to select too many colors for each level of your home. To avoid what I call the "rainbow" effect, select no more than 3 colors for each level of your home.
When the colors in your main living spaces relate to each other, it creates a harmonious, balanced transition from room to room.