Choosing a paint color for your home or choosing a color for a furniture collection can be a daunting undertaking. There are some people who have a natural awareness about color and some who do not feel comfortable making this type of choice. For this portion of the population there are helpful tools that make the decision process easier. A color wheel, developed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666, based on the primary colors of red, yellow and blue, is the starting place for choosing color.

First, you should decide on a color scheme, then the color wheel is a wonderful tool to help you actually select which shade to use. Some of the most common color schemes are based on analogous colors, any combination of colors which are side by side on the color wheel such as yellow-green, yellow orange, or one based on complementary colors which are any two colors directly opposite each other on the wheel, such as red and green or violet and yellow. You can also create more colors by blending the colors next to one another. A monochromatic color scheme uses the same color with different values (lightness and darkness). Another color scheme that you might like to consider is called a split complementary, which starts by choosing two opposing colors and then adding a third color, one that is positioned next to one of the first two colors.

Once you determine which type of color scheme that you want to use, the next step is to actually select your color of choice as a starting place on the color wheel.

If you are trying to create a traditional Country French style you may decide to choose blue and yellow. There are beautiful paisley, striped and checked prints in blue and yellow that you can mix and mingle. I like to use a variety of different patterns with the same colors and contrasting textures to add depth and interest to every setting. As you see on the color wheel these are complementary colors since they sit opposite one another on the wheel and they make each other appear brighter. You can choose dark shades of blue and effectively mix them with light shades of yellow for added richness.

Perhaps you are looking for an exotic Asian motif.  Select red, orange and yellow, which are considered analogous colors, and sit them side by side.  These colors have a great deal of meaning in the Asian culture and mix beautifully together to develop a striking scene.  Color harmonies tend to be vibrant even when using a pale or unsaturated version of one color hue. Adding black to these bright colors lends richness and strength to an already striking combination of colors.

For a contemporary setting, try a great expanse of white fabric with a splash of black or use varying shades of beige for a tone on tone sophisticated style in a monochromatic color scheme.

It is important to remember that not all of the colors need to be used equally. You can have diversified amounts of each color. Simply pick one of the colors to stand out as the principal color.

Whichever color you choose it is important to create a sense of harmony. Harmony is a pleasing agreement or arrangement of parts, whether it be music, or color. Just as music in harmony is aesthetically pleasing so are colors in harmony with one another visually pleasing.

The next time you are trying to decide which color fabric to choose for a furniture collection or what colors to paint the walls inside your home or outside consider using the color wheel as a helpful tool.