retropolitan: W.O.W Wednesday-choosing a color palette.

I have one room in my house that I just can't seem to finish, partly because I keep swiping all the pillows, lamps and accessories out of it to use in other rooms in the house. But another reason is because I haven't been able to settle on a definitive color palette. So, whenever I find a great bargain that I just can't pass up, I usually stick it in this room because, well, it has no style and anything goes.

I'm not sure about you, but I find choosing a color palette a little daunting and intimidating. The pros make pulling together different colors, patterns and textures look so easy, but there is a lot of thought and attention that goes into a well designed room.

So, I decided to brush up on a few rules when choosing colors for a space.

Learning what colors work well together is a great starting point for putting together a well designed and balanced looking room.

Note the color will below.

Colors that sit next to one another on the color wheel are called analogous colors.

This room represents an analogous color scheme using yellow and green.

{source}

Colors that sit opposite one another on the color wheel are called complimentary colors.

This rooms represents a complimentary color scheme, using blue and orange.

{source}

And as you can see, both color palettes look beautiful and balanced.

Experiment with choosing colors that are side by side on the color wheel, or directly across from each other and see which you like most, them go from there.

And if you're still at a loss, you can always try my secret trick...

going into your closet and looking at your clothes. What color is most prevalent? What color is second most prevalent? I've found that pulling from my own personal style often helps point me in the right direction color wise. If I love wearing it, then I will also probably love living in it. Perhaps this trick will work for you too.

Once a color scheme has been chosen, following the 60-30-10 rule will help keep the room looking balanced.

60 percent of the space should be a dominant color {this is often a neutral color and would include wall color and larger pieces of furniture}

30 percent of the space should be a secondary color {and could include additional furniture pieces, lamps, rugs, throw pillows etc.}

Finally, 10 percent should be an accent color {which could include throw pillows or blankets, artwork and small accessories etc.}

And to add a little warmth and texture, you could add some wood elements in the form of side tables or a coffee table. You could also add some metallic pieces for additional texture and interest.

And there you have it!

Just for fun, I decided to create a color palette and room design based on some of my favorite pieces in my closet...

a royal blue blouse