I have a love-hate relationship with paint chips. Thumbing through racks of them in my regional home center gives me a jolt of enthusiasm and a frisson of panic. The sheer volume of potential palettes overwhelms me. Citron and turquoise? Eggplant and khaki? Kelly green and daffodil yellow? Forget it, I inevitably conclude. I’ll just paint everything white.
Lately, though, I have decided to take it easy on myself. Instead of doing laps around the color wheel settling for neutrals, I’m narrowing my options down to easy, classic palettes that are practically impossible to mess up. If, like me, you end up paralyzed by chances, take a look at these eight color schemes for inspiration.
LLC, Cristi Holcombe Interiors
1. Yellow and blue. Like pepper and salt or toast and jam, these colors create a perfect pair. It’s hard to find two colors of one that do not work together — as primary colours, they discuss an uncomplicated, basic quality that keeps them in sync. Most men and women consider yellow and blue as traditional, and they are, but you are able to spin them to transitional or modern land by choosing tailored lines and subtle patterns such as the ones shown here.
SchappacherWhite Architecture D.P.C.
2. White and Black. Need I even mention this one? It’s dramatic, complicated and as timeless as you can get. In any room, in any respect, it is completely fail-safe, and you’ll be able to mix in dabs of whatever accent color appeals to you. Click here to see this palette carried throughout an entire house.
Story & Space – Interior Design and Color Guidance
3. Pink and green. Why does this perennially preppy combo strike such a chord? Well, consider character: pink flowers atop green stems, blooming from shrubbery, surrounded by foliage. If you would like to make green and pink appearance less Lilly Pulitzer, try layering two or three saturated, slightly dirty colors of each color, as in this bedroom.
Emily A. Clark
4. Navy and white. A starched white button-down topped with a navy blazer never goes out of fashion, and neither does a white and navy room. With this pairing, it’s easy to default to the nautical approach (stripes, sailboats, white linen). However, this living space turns convention on its ear: solid walls set off with sharp white millwork and a painted coffee table, using an overscale rug that joins the spectacle together.
Red Egg Design Group
5. Yellow and gray. Like the odd couple of the color spectrum, these two colors could not be more distinct. Yet they complement each other perfectly: Ebullient yellowish helps somber gray to lighten up; gray calms yellowish down and keeps it from bubbling over. It’s a win-win.
Olga Adler
6. Red and beige. This mixture bears a particular resemblance to yellow and gray — one includes an outsize personality, while the flip is more reticent. What makes them such all-natural spouses is the hot undertones they discuss. Temper a bold stroke of crimson with a swath of beige to create a rich, inviting, but still mellow space.
Tobi Fairley Interior Design
7. Orange and blue. They are opposites on the color wheel, and paradoxically that means that they go nicely together. If you can’t abide the idea of a vibrant tangerine and cobalt room, go quieter. This serene living area is washed in light turquoise and soft coral, diluted versions of blue and orange that create no less of an effect for their restraint.
8. Lavender and Chocolate. Really? You’re thinking. Yes, really. Sweet, pale purple and rich chocolate bring out the very best in each other. The crucial thing is to maintain the lavender from getting too bright — a chalky pastel colour works best and seems luminous against deep brown. A lavender accent wall is all this cozy space needed to bring it into life.
What is your go-to palette? Tell us in the comments section!
More:
Select a Fantastic Color Palette
10 Ways To Create Your Neutral Palette Shine