6 Designer Tricks for Picking the Perfect Color Palette

Pick a Color, Any Color

If only choosing a color palette for your interiors was that easy. Well .... actually, it is! Our palette-perfecting tips explain the color rules that designers follow and make it a snap to put them to work in your home.

Choose a Color Scheme From the Largest Pattern in the Space

If you've got patterned upholstery, a colorful rug or large piece of artwork, pluck colors you like from the pattern. For a neutral wall paint color, look to the pattern's whites and beiges.

Take a Cue From Your Clothes

Most people buy clothes in colors they like to wear and they look good in. Similarly, you should dress your rooms in colors that flatter you. If denim is your go-to, consider a navy sofa or if you look (and feel!) perkiest in bright yellows, try mixing in a few citrusy accents with pillows or accessories.

Decorate From Dark to Light, Vertically

A real "cookbook" way to make any space look good without much risk, says designer Mark McCauley, is to use darker color values for the floor, medium color values for the walls and light values for the ceiling. "Any interior space replicates the outside world," he says. "The exterior environment is generally darker below our feet (the earth itself), medium-valued as you look straight ahead (buildings/trees) and lighter skyward."

Start With the Formal Areas of the House

Specifically, the living room, dining room and entry way. Choose a color scheme for those areas first, then pull one color from the scheme. For example, take the red sofa and tone it down (say, to burgundy) for an accent in more private spaces such as the den, office or bedroom.

Use the Color Wheel

In general, analogous color schemes — colors next to each other on the color wheel, such as blue and green — are more casual and relaxing, and work best in informal or private spaces. This is a good strategy for a bedroom, where you want to rest and recover.

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