The living room of your house is often the most important area in terms of representing your style of decoration. This room is also the one where guests are entertained and hence it needs to be presented well. One of the most daunting tasks when it comes to decorating or painting a living room is deciding upon the color combination.
The colors need to sit well together, and need to complement each other; the colors you decide upon can make or break the look of your living room. We are going to help you with just that. There are certain factors which need to be considered when deciding upon a color combination. Understanding them would ease this process and help you in getting a room that’s a treat for your eyes.
The lighting
The goal of the colors you chose for your living room should be to enhance the natural light the room gets. For this, you need to assess how much, or how little, natural light is attracted by your room. If your living room faces north and has small windows, crimson walls or dark wood paneling won’t do much for it. Such a room would require light neutral paints in combination with shades of muted pastels, dove grey or off white to give the illusion of greater natural light. On the other hand, sunny rooms can make use of both airy neutrals as well as can carry off darker, stronger colors.
Consider your existing furniture
Take your existing furnishing in to account. If you already have curtains, or an existing sofa or carpet, use them as a starting point to build your color scheme and build your décor in consideration to them. If your existing furnishings are of darker shades, they might be subdued by darker paint on the walls and hence it is important to build the décor around them. This need not worry you if you are starting from scratch, as that would give you greater freedom to have fun with colors.
Complementary and secondary colors
Some knowledge of color theory can help you significantly in deciding a color combination that goes well together. The three primary colors, namely yellow, blue and red, are called complementary colors. The mixing of the primary colors reveals secondary colors such as orange, green and purple. On a classic color wheel, complementary colors are directly opposite of each other and their intensity is owed to the contrast between them Classic pairs of complementary colors are yellow-violet, blue-orange, and red-green. This does not mean that you use these colors in their most vivid forms. You can make much of a style statement with a living room painted a soft sky blue with a dash of amber in the carpeting or the furniture.
Color can also be used to accentuate the features of a room that you consider to be the best while hiding those you don’t prefer much. For example, if you like the wall structure of your living room, paint it in a more vibrant color instead of crimson shades as vibrant shades would highlight it more.
A relaxing color scheme
The color scheme you adopt sets a mood for your room. If you want your room to be relaxing and a place of silence and peace, take inspiration from Mother Nature. Look for shades of cool greens and blues. Notice how usually hospital walls are painted sage greens and Television studios have a green room. This is because green is considered to be a soothing color which helps restore inner balance and soothe nerves. A similar calming effect is given off by a soft blue color, which always makes the room appear larger due to its reminiscence of the open sky.
Color schemes for a Cozy living room
Certain colors can make your living room inviting and homely and make your guests stay longer to admire the cozy feel. Colors that are warms such as saffron, forest green and russet red amplify the personality of the room and give it a much of a style statement while retaining the homey vibe. Play up this vibe further by adding floral accents and warm woods. Such a color combination would suit a larger room more than a smaller one, as it would give it more of a compact, made up look.
