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THE COLOR WHEEL WORKS MAGIC
Color is the crown jewel of the design elements we’ve been discussing in
recent weeks. While line, texture, mass and shape are integral to a
well-designed room, color has the most dynamic effect, since it is both
art and science. There will be additional columns about this most
important element so that readers will better understand how to use
color to their advantage.
All color is derived from light, either natural or artificial. The sun
produces waves of light at different speeds, and our sense of color
develops from the way our eyes respond to the different wavelengths of
light.
Most of us have had the fun of seeing light refracted through a glass
prism, or droplets of rain, and the resulting rainbow of red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
These spectrum colors have the purest and greatest intensity, or
brightness, possible. If all these spectrum color waves were mixed
together, we would have white light. When dealing with paint, we are
adding pigments of color that approximate the spectrum colors, but they
are mixed with neutrals of black, white, and gray, and are therefore
less intense.
A color wheel represents the rainbow in the round, and is a valuable
tool in deciding home décor. It seems impossible, but from these few
colors, with the addition of neutrals to vary the lightness and
darkness, paint manufacturers can produce and infinite variety of color
for our rooms.
You can be assured that if you use the proper relationship of color from
the way they are positioned on the wheel, your colors will be well
chosen.
Complimentary colors are those opposite one another on the wheels such
as red and green, or blue and orange. In their most intense, or
saturated form, these colors produce the greatest contrast, and are most
often neutralized to some degree to soften their effect. Neutrals come
form mixing equal amounts of compliments, as well as mixing black and
white.
Analogous colors are found next to each other on the wheel, such as red
and yellow. Mixing these two colors produces orange, and the mixing
continues around the wheel. Because they are so closely related, they
have a harmonious feeling.
If you place a triangle on the wheel, in any direction, you will create
a triadic color scheme, such as red, yellow, and blue, or any of the
variations that each color possesses. So a room with clay colored walls,
gold upholstery, and cobalt blue accessories, represents a triadic color
scheme of red, yellow and blue.
The tetrad color scheme features four equally spaced colors, or hues, on
the wheel, and is most often used in traditional homes when more variety
is wanted. Toning down of these colors is needed for a comfortable
atmosphere.
Using just neutrals, i.e. beige, gray, and white, is and option for a
sophisticated and more relaxed atmosphere in contemporary homes.
Who knew science could be such an integral part of setting a mood.
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