How Designers Find The Perfect Color Palette

Time Several Hours

Budget $ $$$

Skill Level

WORDS BY The Havenly Team

Fill 1Created with Sketch.

Published on September 27, 2016

One of the biggest road blocks that you may run into when designing a space is deciding how to choose a color palette. If you start without a plan, it can start to look like something out of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory! Fear not – The designers among us have some tried and true methods for narrowing down the perfect palette.

Designer Tips For Choosing A Color Palette

1. Look To Nature

Look to nature when choosing your color palette

If you’re uninspired and not exactly sure where to start with color, just look out your window. What strikes your fancy? The green from the evergreen trees? The deep radish-purple from the changing leaves? A favorite flower? Nature can be your jumping off point to determine a pop of color for your room.

2. Start With Neutrals

Neutrals = strong palette starting points

Start with neutrals, end happy :)

Neutrals are a great place to start with larger pieces of furniture. These pieces should be more investment pieces such as a sofa or chairs. This way you have a good base to start with, and then you can add color with throw pillows, rugs, and other accent pieces such as decor, lighting, and accent furniture.

3. Consider Your Favorite Color

You'll find home design color inspiration in surprising places

{Apartment Therapy}

This might seem like an obvious questions, but all too often you are probably trying to please everyone except yourself. You want to appease your boyfriend, girlfriend, designer friend, etc. When you look in your closet, is there a color on repeat? Pull that into your room, and you will be sure to love your space.

4. Pair Cool Tones With Warm Tones

{The Glitter Guide}

This is where a color scheme can go wrong. There needs to be balance in color. Even if you love blue, if you use all blues and grays in your space, it can feel too cold and fall flat. You want to introduce a balance. If you love blue, then look to complementary colors like oranges and yellows. This can come in the form of a great saddle leather to bring warmth and depth into the room. If you love blush pink, a great color to pair with this is emerald green for a sophisticated palette.

5. Add A Metallic

Metallics can compliment some palettes

A little sparkle never hurt anything! Whether it be in the form of a great brass or gold piece such as a coffee table or even in decor, this will tie together any color scheme. If you have mostly warm tones already, then lean towards silver or nickel.

Creating a color palette for your space should be fun, and the end result should inspire you. Use the 5 guidelines above to help create the space that you love. If you’re still unsure about where to start, enlist one of Havenly’s designers to help create your dream space! Packages start at only $79!

[df_divider el_width=”100″ style=”solid” accent_color=”#EEEEEE” border_t_width=”2px” padding=”20px 0″ position=”align_center” el_class=””]
Ann F.

Hailing from Chattanooga, Ann loves to style classic, eclectic and transitional rooms, and feedback from her customers tends to look something like this: “OMG I am obsessed!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t know how to choose. I love everything. ” Love Ann’s style? Book her today and #GetDecorated!

[df_divider el_width=”100″ style=”solid” accent_color=”#EEEEEE” border_t_width=”2px” padding=”20px 0″ position=”align_center” el_class=””]