Color Schemes.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 04:29AM 
Last week, a reader asked about the new color scheme for the house, and another for advice on how to create color schemes. I will try to answer both questions in this post.
Basically, the color scheme for the house is not really new. I have always used a lot of greys and blues in my previous homes, with pops of green and occasionally yellow as accent color (a very good example for this is the kitchen of our house in Vienna, seen above).
In the Berlin Apartment, I used a LOT of green. In hindsight, I think it was too much of a good thing. Also, I used some quite dark wall colors (in the bedroom and in the hallway) which maybe wasn´t the bestest idea either for that rather moody place. You live, you learn.
In the new house, I wanted everything white and bright for a clean start. Only very slowly I have started to add color to the place - various shades of grey mostly, but also blue (as in the doors above and the hallway wallpaper). And I started to use pink! For some reason, I think it suits the house really well and I plan to add a few more soft, powdery pink pieces over time (mostly in textiles).
As to how to create a color scheme for a new house - I don´t think I am an expert here because a struggle a lot with that! However, here´s how I think you should do it:
1. Find out what colors you like in interiors. You should do this by browsing many many pictures. I recommend all the great design blogs and Pinterest for that purpose.
2. Evaluate what colors work in your home. A purple wall might look fantastic in a Victorian mansion but maybe not in your small-ish 60ies apartment. Consider scale, architecture and lighting.
3. Define 1-2 main colors and 1-2 accent colors for your home. I like to have neutrals on large surfaces like walls and floors, and save the more punchy colors as accents.
4. Now that you´ve defined your colors, use them throughout the house. Mind you don´t have to stick to the same 3-4 colors, you can always use different shades. If one room is open to another, make sure the colors in these two rooms correspond.
3. Don´t go too crazy. Please? There are people who get away with a green living room and a yellow kitchen and a red bedroom, but chances are you are not one of them. This look can be eclectic and whimsical if done right but most probably it is only overwhelming. Case in point, my house before we moved in (I need to do a post on that).
4. Don´t stress, it´s only paint. You can always repaint, and then repaint some more, and at some point it will look right.
So I hope this helps a bit. Do also have a look at these pages as I find them quite helpful. Happy painting!
Reader Comments (2)
Thanks for sharing this post. I am very interested in people's thoughts on color. Yes I can see now that you are still in the blue/grey range of your Vienna place and that this palette is in lighter tones now. I really love this touch of soft pink above; it's a very satisfying color that changes the dynamic and softens it. I like the surprise it brings. The raspberry red/pink basket in your kitchen photo last week does the same thing. I always intend being the kind of person who 'rings the seasonal changes 'with different colors (cushions, throws etc) but I tend to get stuck in one scheme. I am really enjoying seeing your renovation of your new home as it emerges. And I also look forward to what happens with the garden.
Liebe Katrin,
irgendwie sieht das letzte Bild am freundlichsten aus. Und das rosa Kissen bildet einen perfekten Mittelpunkt. Wirklich schön kombiniert (als fleißige Besucherin des H&M-Home-Shops besitze ich mindestens die Hälfte der Kissen und finde sie ziemlich genial!)
Und dann wollte ich mich noch für dein Post über Laura Amiss bedanken - das sind absolut traumhafte, lebhafte Bilder, habe mir drei bestellt und kann mich einfach nicht satt sehen! Danke!
Alina