How to Choose the Best Color Palette for Your Home

Mar 24, 2020

Elif Naz Kaya

Elif Naz Kaya

Architect/ Designer

If you are a huge interior design fan and want to learn some inside tricks, this is where you need to be. More about me…

Color Schemes for the Home

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How to Choose the Best Color Palette for Your Home

You chose or created the perfect color palette for your home and are excited to use it in your home to bring some freshness and energy.

Then, gradually questions began to appear in your mind: Which color should I use where? Is the color palette I chose going to match the style of my home?

See Also: 2022 Home Color Trends for Those Who Want a Fresh Start

Does this sound familiar?

If you know where to use color, then everything else will be easy. I want to share with you how designers think when they decide where to use colors.

When you start to think like a designer, it’s going to be much easier to decide the perfect color for a room that you are going to redecorate.

I’m confident that any questions you have about where to use color will disappear while reading. So keep reading to see my solutions below!

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Color Schemes for North and South Facing Rooms

One way designers decide on a color scheme for a room is to look at the orientation of the room. Are those windows facing more North or more South?

If most of the windows face toward the North, that means the room will receive less light. You will want to use warmer color schemes to help visually warm up this particular space.

I would not recommend painting the entire room in a bright red. Instead, I would use a warmer, muted color of that hue on the walls or a warm neutral.

If the main windows face toward the South, then cooler color schemes are generally preferred. South-facing rooms receive more light compared to others.

This space may be hotter in summer, so cool wall paint colors are perfect for cooling the room both visually and literally.

Let’s assume that you have a southern facing room that receives a lot of light, and you want to make it more calm and serene. 

I would probably recommend using a deep vibrant color like a navy blue or a charcoal grey as the primary color in your color scheme.

It would be best if you first considered the geography of where your entire home is. If you live in the North, you may still want to use a warm color scheme even for your South facing room.

Imagine the homes in California or Miami. These areas have year-round warm climates. Even if some rooms are facing North, most of the users prefer cool colors like white in the whole house color scheme.

Interior Design Styles and Color Schemes

Deciding the color scheme with all of the beautiful colors is a challenge. I know that every time I have to choose is a massive challenge for me. You have to be aware that you can change it any time you want, depending on the situation.

There is a saying, “Get rid of everything that is not essential to making a point.” – Christoph Niemann.

You can consider this with every part of decoration, even if it is just about color.

You may be in love with a significant hue; sometimes, I am too. I love the color, and I really want to use it, but always remember that if it does not work with your interior design style, you will destroy the harmony.

Another easy way to choose a color scheme is to decide on an interior design style you want to use in your home.

I will discuss popular color schemes for some of the leading interior design styles.

Contemporary Interior Style Color Schemes

I think most people associate Contemporary design style with cool color schemes, which is true. I have seen some beautiful contemporary rooms with warm color schemes as well.

The one thing I would say most about the contemporary color schemes is that neutrals are predominately used for the primary colors as well as the accent colors.

My favorite contemporary color schemes include gray or taupe with white, chocolate brown with various shades of green and yellow, multiple shades of brown with accents of white and black, and a shade of grey with black and white.

Contemporary Interior Style Color Palette for home
Contemporary Interior Style Color Scheme

Traditional Interior Style Color Scheme

Some grand color schemes for traditional rooms are brown with rose and beige, dark wood with olive green and oil rubbed bronze accessories, white with brown and blue, and brown with peach and a white, which is my favorite.

Traditional rooms almost always incorporate some rich patterns.

Here are some examples of color schemes used in the Traditional Style:

traditional interior style color scheme
traditional interior style color scheme

Transitional Interior Style Color Schemes

Transitional Style color schemes nearly always use neutrals as a significant component in the color scheme. Think white, cream, beige, charcoal, grey, and greige. Other colors are used as accents only.

Some beautiful transitional color schemes include chocolate brown, beige and white, charcoal grey, white and blue, and mid-tone gray, light gray, and chocolate brown.

Transitional Interior Style Color Palette
Transitional Interior Style Color Scheme

Mid-Century Modern Interior Style Color Schemes

The Mid-Century Modern Style is often associated with neutrals as primary colors and almost always includes bright colors as accents (bold geometric patterns).

For a fantastic mid-century modern color scheme you can match grey, blue and yellow, grey, red and black, or green, orange and brown.

Mid-Century Modern Interior Style Color Scheme
Mid-Century Modern Interior Style Color Palette

Industrial Interior Style Color Schemes

Industrial Style almost always uses cool color schemes. It is characterized by metal, iron, steel, and exposed air ducts; no one should expect to warm up. 

Of course, you can use some warm elements such as leather seatingwood, or exposed brick, but the overall color scheme will almost always be on the cool side.

Popular industrial style color schemes are grey-brown and red, grey-brown and white, and grey, black and white.

Industrial Interior Style Color Scheme
Industrial Interior Style Color Palette

Urban Modern Interior Style Color Schemes

You may not hear this term, but it is everywhere. Look at some significant furniture sellers, and you will see this style has exploded on the interior design scene. Its goal is to create a super cool New York style loft with concrete floors, brick walls, and graphic patterns.

The Urban Modern interior style’s typical color schemes are charcoal grey, whiter cream, and beige, black, white and mustard yellow, and grey-brown and white.

Urban Modern Interior Style Color Palette
Urban Modern Interior Style Color Scheme

Coastal Chic Interior Style Color Scheme

In the states, if you live on either coast, you have likely seen this style. Coastal Chic’s goal is to bring the outside beach life inside with a lot of coastal chic related to the shore. Coastal Chic must incorporate some blue (without blue, it can’t be coastal).

Popular Coastal Chic style color schemes are beige, white and blue, grey, white and blue, and brown, blue, and white.

The Coastal Chic color schemes will always be classy, but be careful with using marine style patterns and artwork. They can be a bit outdated. 

Scandinavian Interior Style Color Schemes

Color schemes for Scandinavian Styles are often limited. Nordic designs associated with cool color schemes and nearly always have white or cream in its color palette.

Popular Scandinavian Interior Style color schemes are grey, white and black, white, brown or beige and red, and white, Asian-grey, and black.

Scandinavian Interior Style Color Palette
Scandinavian Interior Style Color Scheme

French Country Interior Style Color Schemes

This style typically includes lots of colors in its color schemes. Some of the favorite colors for this style include the bright, vibrant hues of red, gold, green, blue, and lavender. This style also includes stripes and floral patterns.

I recommend you try these beautiful color schemes for French Country Style: cream, red and gold, white, beige and green, brown, gold and red, and white, blue, and lavender.

French Country Interior Style Color Palette
French Country Interior Style Color Scheme

Zen Interior Style Color Schemes

Zen is all about achieving a calm, relaxed, meditative feeling. You will see a lot of neutrals. A favorite accent color is green because the psychology of green is nature and healing.

Grand Zen style color schemes include brown, beige and white, dark brown, green and white, and gray-green and brown.

Zen Interior Style Color Scheme
Zen Interior Style Color Palette

Bohemian Interior Style Color Schemes

Bohemian is hands down one of the most colorful interior design styles out there today. Not only because the Bohemian Interior Style uses bright, bold hues like purple-blue and gold, but it always incorporates colorful pattern prints.

Classic Bohemian Style color schemes include; red-purple and golden brown, pink, white, black and red, and red, blue, white, and mustard yellow.

I can’t resist from Bohemian Color Schemes. It’s one of my favorites. Its color scheme is a limitless and perfect way to use your creativity. I like to mix and match this style with modern hues and using fabulous patterns.

Bohemian Interior Style Color Scheme
Bohemian Interior Style Color Palette

Popular Color Palettes for All Types of Rooms

The final way I want to discuss how you can easily pick a color scheme is to consider the room’s function because the psychology of color is suited better in some rooms more than others.

If you know the basic theory about color, you already know how color can adapt a feeling or mood. 

Let’s go ahead with the main types of rooms and discuss well-suited color schemes for those particular spaces.

Popular Color Schemes for Kitchen

Let’s start with the head office of a home. Yes, I am talking about the Kitchen. Kitchens are generally lively places where the family likes to gather. Since the popularity of open floor plans, kitchens began to replace dining rooms.

Considering this, what colors do you think might be best suited for the kitchen?

From purely a psychological standpoint, you may want to include accent colors like red and orange as these are lively colors. 

Remember that both of those colors might increase your appetite. So if you want to use these vibrant hues, think of using them on the base of the kitchen island, as an accent wall, with barstools, or with lighting.

Neutrals are popular colors for color schemes in kitchens today because of the popularity of open floor plans to pair the kitchen nicely with the rooms around them.

Popular color combinations for kitchens are white, grey and wood tones, white, grey and espresso, and white, grey, and yellow.

For finishes (such as knobs, faucets, and lighting), stainless steel beats out any other colored appliance.

Popular Paint Colors for Room
Popular Paint Colors for all types of Room

Popular Color Schemes for Living Room

Moving on with the Family Room and again, starting from a psychological perspective, I would incorporate orange to bring up the activity level in that room. Use yellow if you want to brighten it up and add some cheerfulness. Use green, blue, or pink if you’re going to create a calm relaxing vibe.

Some popular color schemes for family rooms include beige, blue and orange, white, blue and brown, and charcoal grey, light grey, and green.

Popular paint color for family room
popular paint color for living room

Popular Color Palettes for Dining Room

Next on our list is the Dining Room. We all know that typically dining rooms are one of the least utilized rooms in our home.

The dining room is often reserved for large gatherings and dinner parties. Recently, most people have decided to get rid of their dining rooms and use that space like a library, a crafting area, or a kid’s homework area.

From a psychological standpoint, I would use red to increase appetite or purple to create a luxurious feeling and grey or black for a more formal, sophisticated mood.

Some beautiful color schemes for the dining room are white, red and chocolate brown, black, grey and gold, and white, beige, and olive green.

popular color scheme for dining room

Popular Bedroom Color Schemes

Last is the Master Bedroom. Great colors to use in it are green, blue, lavender, gray, and earthy brown.

Neutrals are also popular, but I recommend you choose your color instead of just using popular colors. Using color psychology to select the colors you want is the right way. Imagine the feeling you want to bring to your bedroom and stick with that.

Some fantastic color schemes for your master bedroom: grey, white and rich wood tones, white, blue, and gold, and cream, muted reds, and chocolate brown.

popular paint color palette for bedroom
popular paint color for bedroom

Designer’s Tips

I am giving you a tip about colors in your color schemes to create ideal proportions. Use the information below to use the color that is naturally pleasing to the human eye. This is for those who love numerical data to increase your chances of success.

             Primary Color Usage = 50-60 %

This generally includes rugs, walls, and perhaps a piece of furniture or two. For at bedroom add the bedspread as well.

             Main Accent Usage = 20-25 %

Include a major piece of furniture, some artwork, and/or perhaps window covers.

             Second Accent = 10-15 %

These are pillows, other accessories, and maybe small pieces of furniture like side chairs.

Of course, you don’t need to use those percentages, but I’ve included them in case you’re not sure how much color to use

For those who love doing DIY things, changing color is easy. Like everything, choosing a new color scheme can be overwhelming if you’re not sure where to start.

If you consider whether your room faces North or South, what your interior design style is and what type of room, you can easily create unity with the color scheme.

I would love to hear about how you use colors in your home and what problems you might be facing when choosing colors.

Please feel free to leave a comment below this article, and let me know if you have any questions that I can answer!

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2 Comments

  1. Brian

    Hello. I can’t seem to view any of the images that were included on this page. Could you help? Thanks

    Reply
    • Naz¨

      Hi! Thank you for notifying me. I solved the problem hope you see all the pictures now.

      Reply

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